Surrey golfers win Australian Spoons national final

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION
Surrey golfers Sally Gallagher and Tessa Mann won the national final of the Australian Spoons Stableford foursomes competition at Pleasington, Lancashire.
They scored 31 points to beat five other pairs who reached the final of the English Women’s Golf Association competition for club golfers with handicaps 21-36.
Each pair came through club and regional qualifying rounds.
“We are just beside ourselves,” said Tessa, who immediately telephoned the ladies’ captain at their club, Betchworth Park.
Sally added: “It was a complete surprise when we won because we thought there were two pairs with 31 points and that we’d lost on countback.”
In fact, they finished one point ahead of Julia Kyte and Pauline Welveart from Droitwich, while Julia Gray and Lindy Clemmow scored 29 points to take third place.
The six pairs were entertained to dinner by EWGA on the evening before the final and Tessa remarked: “We thoroughly enjoyed the competition and meeting all the other players, who were all club golfers just like us. We were all nervous but we all got on really well and that helped.”
Sally has been playing for only two years and this season has reduced her handicap from 21 to 16. Tessa, who has been playing about seven years, is a 25-handicapper. They made a great start to their round, reaching the turn with 19 points – helped by a gross birdie on the par 4 fifth hole.
Sally said: “Then we had a dip in the middle before we started to play well again towards the end.”
The finalists each represented one of EWGA’s six regions:
South: Tessa Mann and Sally Gallagher from Betchworth Park.
Midlands South: Julia Kyte and Pauline Welveart from Droitwich.
East: Julia Gray and Lindy Clemmow from Bourn.
South West: Elizabeth Matthews and Donna Robertson from Burnham and Berrow.
North: Carol Barrow and Jenny Gorst from Windermere.
Midlands North: Gill Hardman and Pat Wilson from Wrekin
Lyndsey Hewison
Press & PR Officer