England squad players, led by Emily Taylor of Lancashire (pictured) and Georgia Hall of Dorset, swept the board of honours at the Scottish U16 open strokeplay championship at Strathmore.
Emily, 15, won the championship, helped by a new course record of six-under par 66. She added it to her opening 74 for a four-under total for 36 holes.
Georgia, 13, shot a bogey-free 68 in the second round to finish on two-under par for the tournament. She won the U14 trophy and was third overall, behind Ashley Cramond of Warwickshire.
The English Women’s Golf Association sent a squad of six to the championship and the two teams took first and second place in the Nations Cup event. Team B, represented by Emily, Georgia and Brogan Townend, won with a two-day score of 279. Team A, represented by Elizabeth Mallett, Bronte Law and Lauren Taylor, were runners-up on 285. The best two scores counted on each day.
Scoring at the championship was excellent with five players finishing under par and three more returning level par totals.
Pat Smillie, EWGA’s national junior coach, was delighted with performance of her squad. “They were fantastic and it was great to get some scores in the 60s. They got so many birdies between them, which is a sign of good, attacking golf, and it all bodes very well for the future.” Between them, the six players had 40 birdies and two eagles.
Emily Taylor, from Royal Lytham & St Annes, notched up five birdies and an eagle three in her 66, which was not only a course record but her personal best score - and the first time she’s broken 70.
“I didn’t play my best in the first round but I knew it was all to play for and I just went out to do my best. My second round was really special, ” she said.
Emily, who is the Lancashire champion, has made a quick start to the season. In February she won the U18 title in the Hacienda Del Alamo Ladies Open and the Murcia U16 Open in Spain.
Georgia Hall, from Ferndown, is the English girls’ U13 champion and she was playing in this event for the first time.
She was cruising towards a sub-par in her first round when she dropped five shots in the last three holes for a two-over 74. However, she put the setback behind her and returned to the course to produce a bogey-free second round. She got off to a good start with a birdie on the difficult second hole and was two-under for both nines.
This was the second time she’s scored in the 60s, following a 67 course record at Ferndown. “I played really well in the first round and I was disappointed with my finish, I think I lost a bit of concentration. Today on those last few holes I didn’t think about the score but played it hole-by-hole, shot-by-shot – and it was great that I came back to finish well.”
Leading final scores
Par 144 (2x 72)
140 Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham & St Annes) 74 66
141 Ashley Cramond (The Warwickshire) 73 68
142 Georgia Hall (Ferndown) 74 68; Bronte Law (Bramhall) 70 72
144 Chloe Williams (Wal) 73 70; Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) 75 69; Brogan Townend (Pleasington) 71 73; Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield Ladies) 70 74
145 Jessica Carty (Sco) 72 73
146 Charlotte Hindmoor (Cleveland) 74 72; Olivia Winning (Rotherham) 73 73; Lauren Taylor (Woburn) 73 73
Full details: www.slga.co.uk
Image: leaderboardphotography.com
