WELSH WINNERS AT SPANISH GOLF FESTIVAL

WELSH WINNING DOUBLE AT SPANISH
GOLF FESTIVAL

The rain in Spain today fortunately arrived too late to mar the double
triumph of Welsh players Rhian Wyn Thomas and Lauren Diggle in the
amateur and professional sections of the Hacienda del Alamo Ladies
Open, the 36-hole stroke play championship of the second week of the
inaugural Hacienda del Alamo Women´s Winter Festival at the five-star
Murcia resort.
Vale of Glamorgan Golf Club member Rhian won the amateur title with
rounds of 75 and 72 for a four-over par aggregate of 148 over the
testing Dave Thomas designed lay-out.
Rhian has improved almost with every outing in the six-event Festival
which is open to lady professionals as well as amateurs.
What a pity that the 20-year-old two-handicapper cannot get into the
field for the Spanish women's open amateur championship at the end of
the month. A scratch handicap is the cut-off point. Rhian would have
certainly held her own the way she has played at the Hacienda del Alamo
Festival.
She had four shots to spare at the end of two rounds from Ami Storey
from the Ponteland Golf Club in the North east of England. Ami had
rouns of 77 and 74.
Lauren Diggle, who lives within sign of the future Ryder Cup venue at
Celtic Manor, won the pro title with scores of 75 and 71 for 146 off
the blue tees (a 6,500yd course), while Rhian Thomas compiled her
scores from the forward red tees (just over 6,000yd).
"I´m really proud of that second round 71. That's the best I-ve ever
played at Hacienda del Alamo," said Lauren whose parents own a villa at
Alicante, which is about a 90min drive from Hacienda del Alamo.
"There was no wind today and fortunately we were back in the clubhouse
before the rain came. It´s my 25th birthday next Monday and this was a
pre-birthday present. It-s my first ever win as a tour pro."
The victory was worth 350 Euros to Lauren who had eight shots to spare
over joint runners up Jenna Wilson from Strathaven, Scotland, a rookie
pro who won the Scottish women-s amateur title last year, and Marjet
Van der Graaf from the Netherlands. Both score 80 and 74.
Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough), only 13 years old but with five of a
handicap already, won the girls´scratch title with gross rounds of 77
and 83 for 160.
Tara Gribben, a 16 year old from Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland, won
the girls handicap award with a net total of 160 off five.

All the scores

AMATEURS

SCRATCH
147 Rhian Wyn Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan) 75 72.
151 Ami Storey (Ponteland) 77 74.
152 Lisa Barton )Coventry) 76 76.
158 Jane Binning (Frilford Heath) 81 77, Charlotte Dalton (Ladbrook
Park) 80 78..
160 Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) 77 83.
162 Mary MacLaren (Wellingborough) 84 78.
163 Sarah Carty (The Island, Dublin) 82 81.
164 Orla Barry (Galway) 86 78.
167 Annie Gowing (Frilford Heath) 86 81.
170 Kate Evans (Frilford Heath) 89 81, Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint) 87
83, Vicky Smith (Hacienda del Alamo) 87 83.
171 Judy McCairns (Frilford Heath) 86 85.
179 Jane Whiriskey (Galway) 87 91, Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) 91 88.
188 Rebecca Gee (Wellingborough) 98 90.
202 Paula Reynolds (Seapoint) 98 104.

HANDICAP

Class 1 (0 to 5)
143 R W Thomas (2) 73 70.
148 L Barton (2) 74 74.
152 C Dalton (3) 77 75.
154 O Barry (5) 81 73, Mary MacLaren (4) 80 74, J Binning (2) 79 75.
155 S Carty (5) 78 77.
157 A Gowing (5) 81 76.
160 T Gribben (5) 86 74, V Smith (5) 72 78.
169 C Reynolds (5) 86 83.
178 R Gee (5) 93 85.

Class 2 (6 and over)
146 Meghan MacLaren (7) 70 76.
153 J McCairns (9) 77 76.
154 J Whiriskey )12) 75 79.
156 K Evans (7) 82 74.
164 P Reynolds (19) 79 85.

GIRLS
Scratch
160 Meghan MacLaren 77 83.
170 T Gribben 91 79.
179 C Reynolds 91 88.
188 R Gee 98 90.

Handicap
146 Meghan MacLaren (7) 70 76.
160 T Gribben (5) 86 74.
169 C Reynolds (5) 86 83.
178 R Gee (5) 93 85.

PROFESSIONALS
146 Lauren Diggle (Wales) 75 71.
154 Jenna Wilson (Scotland) 80 74, Marjet Van der Graaf (Netherlands)
80 74.
158 Natasha Morgan (Wales) 85 73.
169 Katie Thomson (Scotland) 83 86.

LEADING PRO-AM SCORES
(professonal´s score gross, amateurs nett)
299 Natasha Morgan 73 & Ami Storey 73, Annie Gowing 76, Sarah Carty 77.
300 Lauren Diggle 71 & Charlotte Dalton 75, Judy McCairns 76, Vicky
Smith 78.
301 Jenna Wilson 74 & Kate Evans 74, Lisa Barton 74, Jane Whiriskey 79.

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