Fiona Anderson shares lead

in English senior

women's stroke-play

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S

GOLF ASSOCIATION

Four players share the lead after the first round of the Senior Women’s English Stroke-play Championship at Beau Desert Golf Club, Staffordshire.

Lancashire’s Fiona Anderson (pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved), a former Scottish women's champion, set an early target of six-over par 77 when she set out in the third group, and she was never bettered. Instead she was joined by Norfolk’s Jo Ashmore, Surrey’s Rozalyn Adams and Yorkshire’s Carolyn Kirk.

The quartet enjoy a three-shot lead over their closest challengers.

Jo Ashmore, who is making her seniors’ debut this year, commented afterwards: “It was difficult out there. This isn’t a course where you can let rip, you have to play your way round it and the greens are very big – some are 40-yards long.

“On the back nine the wind got up and made it even more difficult. You had to be quite sharp to get the right club. It’s a very challenging course – and an excellent one, it’s got to be one of the best I have played.”

Jo, a past Norfolk champion from Barnham Broom, played steadily and helped her score with an eagle 3 on the long fifth, where she hit a three-iron to within 8ft, and a birdie on the short 10th, where her six-iron finished 2ft from the hole.

Three shots behind the leading foursome are Kent’s Geraldine Bray, a past winner of this title, and Felicity Coulter from Surrey. Defending champion Sue Dye – who also won the English seniors’ title earlier this season – scored 83 and is in a group sharing 13th place.

Division B, for players with handicaps seven to 15, is also led by a group of four players who all shot 84. They are: Sue Mayman (Bedale), Sue McKeon (Harleyford) José Kellenberger (Camberley Heath) and Judy McCairns (Oxford Ladies).

After the second round the top 16 players from each of the two divisions will go forward to play the final round on Thursday.

Championship leading scores:

77 Fiona Anderson (Formby Ladies), Jo Ashmore (Barnham Broom), Rozalyn Adams (Addington Court), Carolyn Kirk (Ganton).

80 Geraldine Bray (Littlestone), Felicity Coulter (Banstead Downs).

81 Chris Quinn (Hockley), Sue Ellis (Ferndown), Janet Collingham (Sherwood Forest), Liz Moverley (Copt Heath).

82 Christine Stirling (Meon Valley), Pat Wrightson (Huddersfield).

83 Lorraine Richardson (Ashley Wood), Sue Westall (Copt Heath), Sue Dye (Delamere Forest), Vivien Saunders (Cambridge National).

84 Carole Weir (Beaconsfield), Barbara Cheetham (Chester-le-Street), Luci Foster (Bramhall).

Full details and hole-by-hole scoring: www.englishwomensgolf.org
Lyndsey Hewison

Press & PR Officer