It’s Holly Clyburn v Kelly Tidy in English girls’ final

Press release from EWGA

Lincolnshire’s Holly Clyburn and Lancashire’s Kelly Tidy will meet in tomorrow’s final of the FirstPoint USA English girls’ championship at North Wilts.

It’s the first time either of them have played in the final and they’re both excited at the prospect. “I can’t wait,” said Holly. “Bring it on!” While Kelly remarked: “It should be good fun.”

It promises to be a final of the highest quality, featuring two of England’s finest young players. Holly, (pictured right) the French U18 open champion, is a full England international while Kelly will represent Europe in next month’s Junior Solheim Cup.

They’re also team-mates and next week they’ll be playing together for England in the Girls’ Home Internationals. But tomorrow it’s head-to-head.

Holly, 18, reached the final with two comfortable wins. She beat Rebecca Heeles (Royal Norwich) on the 15th and was one-under par when she won her semi-final against Sophie Godley (Lindrick) on the 14th.

“I’m happy with my game and my putting came on this afternoon,” said Holly. “It started when I holed a 25-footer for a birdie on the 5th, then I got another birdie on the 6th and an up and down on the 7th. So, my putting was on fire.”

Kelly, 17, came through two testing matches, both against fellow girl internationals. In the quarter final she was two down with two to play against Suffolk’s Heidi Baek but bounced back to win on the 19th.

She took on Dorset’s Hayley Davis in the semi-finals and, when she was four up after five, looked to be on the way to an early finish. Hayley, however, had other ideas and repeatedly fought back, reducing Kelly’s advantage to one hole on three occasions.

However, Kelly was never down and was two-up with two to play. She lost the 17th but she made certain of her place in the final with a birdie on the last. Her short game was excellent all day and she joked afterwards: “My wedge is worn out!”

The final of the second flight is between Yorkshire’s Charlotte Austwick and Tiffany Hewetson of Sussex.

Results

Championship matchplay

Quarter finals
Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) beat Heidi Baek (Felixstowe Ferry) at 19th
Hayley Davis (Ferndown) beat Raffi Dyer (Hayling) 4&3
Sophie Godley (Lindrick) beat Melissa McMahon (Yeovil) at 19th
Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) beat Rebecca Heeles (Royal Norwich) 4/3

Semi finals
Tidy beat Davis 2 up
Clyburn beat Godley 5/4

Flight two matchplay

Quarter finals
Sarah Smith (Links) beat Chelsea Masters (Highwood, Bexhill) 2up
Charlotte Austwick (Pike Hills) beat Rebecca Gibbs (Burnham & Berrow) 6/4
Bronwyn Davies (Wolstanton) beat Sophie Powell (Manchester) 1 up
Tiffany Hewetson (East Brighton) beat Dana Greenslade (Wentworth) 4/2

Semi finals
Austwick beat Smith 1 up
Hewetson beat Davies 2/1

Full details: www.englishwomensgolf.org

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