Warwickshire Golf
WLCGA COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 - REVIEW
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COUNTY CHAMPION 2012 Katrina GANI (Shirley GC) |
RUNNER UP Melissa NICOL (Moor Hall GC) |
VERA CLAYTON TROPHY JOINT WINNERS 2012 Lisa BARTON (Brandon Woods GC) & Claire HOWELLS (Moor Hall GC) |
BRONZE DIVISION TROPHY WINNER 2012 Val STENE (Kenilworth GC)
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After 3 days of competition at Ladbrook Park Golf Club, 16 year old Katrina GANI from Shirley Golf Club is crowned the 2012 Warwickshire Ladies County Champion.
This afternoon we had the battle of the youngsters in the final of the County Championship, with Katrina GANI (16 years from Shirley GC) against Warwickshire Junior Girls Captain, Melissa NICOL (18 years from Moor Hall G C). guess what - the sun shone throughout the day and the greens staff were sen mowing fairways during the day, which after the weather we have experienced this week, was quite something!
Katrina seemed to settle down more quickly than Melissa and with Pars on the first 3 holes went 3 up, adding to this score on the 6th with a Par 4. Then Melissa won one back with a birdee 2 on the 8th, so by the turn the score was 3 up to Katrina. After the 12th hole Melissa had pulled 2 back with 2 pars and it was getting close! Halves in 5 on the 13th and then a win with a fantastic birdee for Katrina on the 14th sent her back to 2 up. Was this to be her year? 15th was halved with bogie 4's and then Melissa won the 16th with a par 4. Two great drives from them on the difficult 17th, followed by a super 2nd shot from Katrina on to the green made her task a little easier as Melissa's 2nd shot landed in the front bunker and Katrina went on to win the hole, thus finishing 2 and 1.
What an exciting afternoon and great to see that the Warwickshire Ladies' County Golf Association has such a young Champion and indeed Runner up. Future golf in the County should be safe in their hands, together with the other up and coming Junior Girls - well done to them both.
A full list of the Prize Winners during the 3 days is as follows:
Championship Cup: Katrina GANI (Shirley GC)
Runner Up Salver: Melissa NICOL (Moor Hall GC)
Losing Semi-finalists: Lisa BARTON (Brandon Wood GC) & Mandy NEWEY (Stratford-on-Avon GC)
Vera Clayton Trophy (Gross): Joint Winners - Lisa BARTON (Brandon Woods GC) and Claire HOWELLS (Moor Hall GC)
Vera Clayton (Best Nett): Sophie THOMPSON (Wishaw GC)
Silver Division Trophy: Katrina GANI (Shirley GC)
Runner Up: Helen DELLOW (Stoneleigh Deer Park GC)
Additional Silver Voucher for best Nett score over 1st 18 holes for a player not in the Championship: Jane BETTS (Edgbaston GC)
Bronze Division Championship Trophy: Val STENE (Kenilworth GC)
Runner Up: Judy HADFIELD (Coventry GC)
Best Ladbrook Park Member (Silver Division): Janice WALSH
Best Ladbrook Park Member (Bronze Division) Mary PARFITT
MONDAY'S PLAY
Longest Drive Silver - 13th: Tracy ATKIN (Leamington & County GC)
Nearest Pin - Silver - 8th: Sue TIMBERLAKE (Edgbaston GC)
Nearest Pin in 2 shots - 11th: Katrina GANI (Shirley GC)
Longest Drive Bronze: Helen COOPER (Moor Hall GC)
Nearest Pin Bronze: No-one on the green!
We congratulate all of the Prize winners for 2012 and particularly thank Ladbrook Park GC for hosting this event and for all the help received prior to and during the last 3 days.
SEMI FINALS - Wednesday 1st May
Lisa BARTON (Brandon Wood GC) and Melissa NICHOL (Moor Hall GC) commenced their semi final at 09.00 a.m. today at Ladbrook Park GC. They were followed closely by Katrina GANI (Shirley GC) and Mandy NEWEY (Stratford-on-Avon GC) in the second match and we were anticipating two great matches. No rain this morning but the ground underfoot was still very wet although the greens had quickened.......
Lisa and Melissa went on to the 18th hole before Melissa finally won the match with a half, as she had been 1 up after the 17th hole. The match had been very close all round, but Melissa had mostly managed to stay 1 up. Excitement on the difficult Par 4, 4th hole when Lisa landed on the green in 2 and then sank her long putt for a 3. Melissa however was short of the green and then chipped in for a 3!! On the 5th hole Lisa chipped in for a 2 having watched Melissa sink her putt for a 3 and so it went on all morning. So it was not to be two in row for Lisa BARTON, but she certainly had given it her best shot this year.
In the second match, Katrina quickly went 3 up with 3 steady pars and remained with that lead until the 9th when she picked up another hole, making her 4 up by the turn. On the back nine, Katrina picked up another hole on the 10th and parred her way to the 14th when she won the match.
The second match was perhaps not as exciting as the lead match but with steady golf Katrina managed to come out the victor. Mandy, by her own admission was extremely tired after 2 days of 36 holes, but so enjoyed the experiences of the week said "I can't wait for next year's Championship!!"
Day 2 - Afternoon Quarter Finals
A little late starting due to the long matches in the morning, Lisa BARTON beat Sue WESTALL with a birdie on the 17th hole. In speaking to Lisa in the warmth of the clubhouse, she commented the "this was the best round to date in the last 2 days and I played well and was very steady. Sue played very well also and sank alot of very good putts to stay in contention"
Katrina GANI had a great round against Hannah CRUMP carding some 5 birdies, having been 2 down after 2 holes! An excellent win of 6 and 4.
Mellisa NICHOL played the very experienced Tracy ATKIN and eventually came out the victor 2 and 1. Mellisa went 1 up on 1st hole with a birdie and then 2 up on 4th. Melissa was never down in her round but did get a scare when Tracy's 2nd shot hit the pin and nearly went in on the par 4, 10th. Both caddies commented that "the pair played to an exceptionally high standard of golf especially in the conditions."
Mandy NEWEY started really well with a birdie on the first and then Helen DELLOW levelled on the 3rd. By the 9th however, Mandy had gone 4 up and eventually went on to win 6 and 4.
Bye the way, it stopped raining at approximately 3 p.m.!!
Day 2 - Tuesday 1st May - Morning Knockout Rounds
What a day!! We woke to rain this morning and the qualifiers were out all morning playing in Round 1 of the knockout series. How wet they were - nothing stayed dry even with umbrellas, waterproofs and caddies and they all came in for lunch looking like drowned rats!!.....
Helen DELLOW (Stoneleigh Deer Park) had a walkover as Liz GALLAND (Nuneaton GC) was unable to play due to family problems and four of the matches finishing before the 18th - how pleased were they to be out of the rain! Lisa BARTON (Brandon Wood GC) beat Bobbi WAUGH (Moor Hall GC) 6 and 4, Sue WESTALL (Copt Heath) beat youngster Sophie THOMPSON (Wishaw GC) who was playing in her first Championship, 5 and 4. Tracy ATKIN (Leamington & County GC) beat Bev BELCHER (Olton GC) 6 and 5 and Katrina GANI (Shirley GC) beat Rachel RUSTED (Nuneaton GC) 3 and 1.
In the other 3 matches, the players obviously enjoyed playing in the rain as they had to go down 19th, 20th or in one case 21st hole before a winner was found. Carol O'HARE (Shirley GC) missed a shortish putt on the 18th, having been one up after 17. Both Carol and Hannah CRUMP (Copt Heath) halved the 19th with par and then Hannah sank an very long putt to win on the 20th.
Melissa NICHOL (Moor Hall GC) sank her putt to draw level on 18 against Yen PHAM (Shirley GC) and off to the 1st tee they went, with Melissa eventually coming out the winner on the 21st hole.
Claire HOWELLS (Moor Hall GC) went All square on the 18th and eventually lost to Mandy NEWEY (Stratford-on-Avon GC) on the 19th, Mandy winning the hole with a long downhill putt.
Special thanks were given by all, particularly the players, to the Greens Staff who worked tirelessly to keep the course open. They were constantly using their squeegees to clear the greens when puddles were appearing - well done to them.
DAY 1 - Qualifying Rounds - Afternoon
The afternoon scores would have to show some improvement for most of the competitors, if only for their own satisfaction!!
With the sun still shining through, the afternoon round went ahead and the scores were somewhat better. Katrina was unable to keep her excellent scoring going for the second round, but Lisa BARTON (Brandon Woods GC) and defending champion scored a second round 79 to go with the morning 80 for 159 total and was leader for the day. Close on her heals was Claire HOWELLS, also with 159 for the two rounds. The biggest winner of the day was the weather as not once was an umbrella used!!
DAY 1 - Monday 30th April - 36 holes Medal Play - Qualifying Rounds
After the weather we have suffered during April and particularly the downpoor of yesterday, most of the players did not think they would be playing at Ladbrook Park GC on Monday morning. However, due to the hard work of the Greens staff, the course did in fact open and looked splendid with the greens running true and quite fast......
28 Warwickshire players set off in Round 1 of this 36 hole tournament, all keen and eager to come in with a good score. The sun shone but it was quite windy and many clouds were speeding across the sky. Tee shots off the 1st were generally very long and straight but I am told that after that, if was difficult choosing the right club due to the wind and being very wet underfoot. The scores reflected the conditions and most of the players were disappointed with their final scores, however 16 year old Katrina GANI (Shirley GC) came in with a Gross 78, the best of the morning.
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