Katie Mundy v Hannah Ralph for

English women's open mid-am title

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Hampshire’s Katie Mundy and Sussex golfer Hannah Ralph will meet in tomorrow’s final of the English open mid-amateur championship at Denham, Buckinghamshire.
It’s a first national final for both of them - but the second time they’ve met in recent weeks. They went head-to-head in the semi-final of the EWGA South Regional championship – and on that occasion Hannah took the honours and went on to win the title.
Now, Katie said with a laugh, she’s looking for revenge!
They made their way to the final with impressive golf. Katie extinguished local hopes when she beat Rachel Drummond of Beaconsfield by 4 and 3 in their semi-final. Earlier, Rachel won a nail-biting quarter-final when she beat former champion Charlotte Ellis on the third extra hole, displaying remarkable skills of recovery when in the rough.
However, in the semi-final Katie, 19, quickly took charge and was three-up after six holes. Rachel won the next two but was soon trailing again and was five down after 13 holes. She rallied again with a birdie on 14 but Katie closed out the match with a superb up and down on the difficult, tiered 15th green.
“I played solid golf and I’ve got better and better all week,” said Katie, who is a student at Western Texas College in the USA and won four tournaments from five starts in her first term.
“America has helped my short game a lot and my course management – and this is the kind of course you need to plot your way around,” she said.
Hannah, 21, won an up-and-down quarter-final against Lancashire’s Cori Lee, before defeating Hampshire’s Tracey Boyes. Tracey was playing her second national semi-final of the year after also making it into the final four in the English close championship.
“It was a very good match,” said Hannah. “I played Tracey in county match week and we finished on the 18th so I knew it would be close. She never gives up.
”Hannah moved ahead quickly and was three up after seven but she had a good fight on her hands. She was pulled back to one up after nine, before again extending her advantage to three with the help of some immaculate short shots. She lost the 15th - where Tracey got the better of her on the green - but after two halved holes she was safely through to the final.
“It’s exciting,” said Hannah, who has been enjoying good form in all the top scratch events this season. “It’s just nice to finally get this far in a big competition.”
Results
Quarter-Finals
Tracey Boyes (Meon Valley) bt Kim Crooks (Saltburn By The Sea) 2 holes.
Hannah Ralph (Cowdray Park) bt Cori Lee (West Lancashire) 3 and 1.
Katie Mundy (Dunwood Manor) bt Laura Harvey (Richmond (Yorkshire) 2 holes.
Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) bt Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) at 21st.
Semi-finals:
Ralph bt Boyes 2 and 1.
Mundy bt Drummond 4 and 3.
Details: www.englishwomensgolf.org
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer