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
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
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 7:41:00 PM
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