Ladies Club Championship 2018

31 of our lady Members took part in what was absolutely stunning weather but there was one clear favourite, Carol Smith, who won her seventh Club Championship last year, led the field on day one with a hard-fought 83.

Barbara Parker, who had had a brilliant front nine, fell away on the back nine to finish two shots back with an 85. Di Simpson was seven behind and realistically needed to play some brilliant golf to get the job done.

However, in the nett, there were 12 players within six shots of each other and it was going to be a tough battle. Stephanie Upton-Prowse, Lorraine Dunabin and Amanda Townshend all led the way with wonderful rounds of 70, but looming and inspired by her husband’s win in the senior’s Nett Competition was Susan Marks just two shots back.

The Downs for the second round proved to be a brutal test and the scoring showed with standard scratch up again by two strokes. Susan Marks, a model of consistency, shot another round to handicap with a nett 72 and was the only player in the whole field to do so. With this, she won the nett Ladies Championship. A perfect week with Steve, her husband, picking up the Seniors Nett Championship.

The gross scoring was a day to forget for most but it did lead to something very special. The final group played the last hole with Parker and Smith both making double bogey down 18 meaning that they were tied overall.

On to the play-off, Smith was awarded the honour of starting first and unfortunately hit the left-hand greenside bunker which gave Parker the opportunity to strike. She hit a little right and short of the right-hand bunker. Parker hit a lovely floated chip to about six feet and Smith with an extremely awkward stance played a remarkable bunker shot to about 20 feet. In the end, they both two-putted for bogey and the match went on.

The second hole seemed to inspire these two as they both hit their drives well and ran through the fairways leaving awkward downhill lies. This is where the class of Smith began to shine as she hit a beautifully struck shot into the heart of the green, leaving Parker with it all to do.

Parker followed up with a well-struck wood that the crowd were urging on but alas it ended up 10 foot short leaving a tricky chip to keep the play-off alive. Parker showed remarkable touch and fell to produce an immense chip to four feet and after Smith two-putted with ease, Parker with nerves of steel holed out for the half and the match was very much alive.

The third hole, Smith still first was really on fire now and she split the fairway with a powerfully struck drive, Parker continued to show no signs of nerves and followed her down the middle although quite some way back. Parker chose the aggressive option and tried to hit the green from the high down the left, however, the ball kicked sharply right leaving her the toughest shot in golf, a 30-yard bunker shot. Smith now only need to hit the green and surely the Championship would be hers? She did just that a well struck iron shot into the heart of the green.

Parker stood up at that moment and hit a truly remarkable bunker shot that nearly went in, but eventually settled about 15ft past the hole. Smith to play first, hit a beautifully paced putt to four feet meaning if Parker missed her putt, Smith would have her name on the trophy again if she holed that putt.

Parker went through her routine and then set the ball on its way down the slope and it shaved the left edge of the hole and ran on five feet and without pause knocked it in.

Smith had four-foot for the Championship and she struck the putt straight into the middle of the hole. Both ladies shared a warm embrace amongst loud applause from the supporters, what a play-off, what an ending and huge congratulations to Carol Smith 2018 Ladies Club Champion.

Round 1
Best Gross Score – Di Simpson (88)
Best Nett Score – Stephanie Upton-Prowse (70)
Round 2
Best Gross Score – Pam Homer (93)
Best Nett Score – Audrey Goodhew (75)

36 Hole Ladies’ Club Championship
Nett
Senior Nett Champion – Susan Marks (71+76=144)
2nd – Lorraine Dunabin (70+75 = 145)
3rd– Pauline Senior (73+76 = 149)

Gross
Seniors Club Champion – Carol Smith (83 + 91 = 174)
2nd – Barbara Parker (85+89 = 174)
3rd – Pam Homer (90+87 = 163)

To watch the play-off between Carol Smith and Barbara Parker, please visit our Facebook page.