Norfolk’s Amber Ratcliffe won the girls’ championship at the Fairhaven Trophies in dramatic fashion with an eagle three on the last hole.
The 15-year-old from Royal Cromer was one shot behind her playing partner, Elizabeth Stebbings, as they teed off on the last hole at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lancashire.
Amber, who trains with EWGA’s Select Midlands Squad, defied strong cross winds to reach the green in two and then holed a 25-footer to secure victory by one shot.
The final day’s golf was played in testing conditions in winds which averaged over 20mph and which gusted up to 40mph. The conditions throughout the tournament were reflected in the CSS which went up in every round, from the SS of 75, to 76, 78, 77 and 78, reduction only.
Amber led from the start, opening with 75 and adding three rounds of 80. She was joined by Elizabeth, from Wilpshire, Lancashire, at the top of the girls’ leaderboard after three rounds. The Gloucestershire pair of Bethan Popel (Long Ashton) and Shelby Smart (Knowle) also made the cut for the final day’s play in the 72-hole competition.
The boys’ trophy was won by Tom Harris of Castletown on the Isle of Man after a four-hole play-off. The Nations Cup was won Scotland B, followed a shot behind by England B: Shelby Smart , Max Orrin, and Sebastian Crookall-Nixon. England C were third: Amber Ratcliffe, Toby Tree and Nathan Kimsey.
She holed a 25-footer to pip her playing partner, by one shot. Amber Ratcliffe, Royal Cromer GC, won the girls championship in dramatic finish from her playing partner Elizabeth Stebbings, Wilpshire GC.
Teeing off on the 18th hole, a long par 5 with a strong wind blowing from left to right, Amber, one shot behind Elizabeth, hit two terrific shots onto the green and then holed a 8 yard eagle putt to secure victory by one shot. Her winning total of 315 was a great effort in what has been a very testing days golf in winds averaging over 20mph and gusting up to 40mph.
