Top English girl golfers head to

Wiltshire for championships

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Almost 250 girl golfers are heading to Wiltshire from all over England and as far afield as Singapore, Spain and the USA to play in their national championships. Among them is Hally Leadbetter, the daughter of coaching legend David Leadbetter, who will travel from Lake Nona in Florida to tee up in the English girls’ championship at North Wilts Golf Club from July 28 to August 1.
Two companion events, the English U15 and U13 girls’ championships, will be played at The Wiltshire Golf Club from July 28-30. All three championships boast a full field and there’s a healthy waiting list for both the U15 and U13s.
Local interest is likely to focus on Wiltshire’s Hannah Turland, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who is a past U13 champion and will be bidding for the U15 title this year. Hannah, 15, is the Wiltshire county champion and will represent England in the girls’ Home Internationals next month.
She’s one of six Wiltshire players taking part in the championships. The others are Sarah Gee (West Wilts), Kyra Horlock (Hamptworth), Charlotte Lucas (High Post) and Katie Warren (Wrag Barn) in the U13s; and Ellena Farrow (Kingsdown) in the English girls’.
The three championships are a showcase for England’s finest young players – and the standard of golf will be excellent. Over 100 competitors in the English girls’ championship have single figure handicaps and there are an impressive number of scratch and plus-players.
They include Lincolnshire’s Holly Clyburn, 18, (Woodhall Spa) a full international who has just helped England win the silver medal at the European team championship.
There’s a host of girl internationals in the field of 128 players, including Lancashire’s Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) who has just been selected for the European team for the Junior Solheim Cup.
Hannah Turland’s rivals for the U15 title are likely to include Norfolk’s Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) who has just won the English U16 schools’ championship with a seven-under par score for 36 holes.
Cheshire’s Bronte Law (Bramhall), who was the schools’ runner-up on three-under par, will be another strong contender. This event is contested by 80 players.
The defending U13 champion is Charley Hull, 13, of Kettering, who plays off three handicap. Her challengers are likely to include 13-year-old Georgia Hall of Ferndown, Dorset. Meanwhile, the youngest competitor is Annabel Bailey of Notts Ladies’ who is 10 years old and entered off a handicap of 15. This championship has 40 competitors.
Competitors in the English girls’ championship at North Wilts will play a qualifying stroke-play round on each of the first two days of the championship. Then, the leading 32 players will go forward to the championship match-play flight and the next 32 will play in the second flight. The finals of both flights take place on the morning of Saturday, August 1.
The U15 and U13 championships at The Wiltshire are both stroke-play events. All competitors play 18 holes on each of the first two days before the fields are cut for the final day’s play. In the U15s, the leading 36 players and ties qualify for the 36 hole final.
In the U13s, the leading 18 players and ties qualify for the 18-hole final. Both finals are played on Thursday, July 30.
Full details of competitors and starting times for the qualifying rounds are available on the EWGA website: www.englishwomensgolf.org Online scoring will be available throughout the championships.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer