The field of 90 players promises top quality competition, with a host of low-handicappers, including three scratch golfers. Cheshire's Caroline Marron will defend her title while the British senior champion, Beverly New from Somerset, is taking part in her first English senior event.
In addition, every member of last year's winning team from the senior Home Internationals will be teeing up in pursuit of the title. Joining Caroline Marron will be: senior strokeplay champion Roz Adams of Surrey, Jo Ashmore of Norfolk, Felicity Christine of Surrey, Sue Dye of Cheshire, Janet Melville of Nottinghamshire and Chris Quinn of Hampshire.
Local interest will also be strong. There are 15 Yorkshire players in the field including the 2003 champion Adele Mitchell (Keighley) and former senior internationals Carolyn Kirk (Ganton), Pat Wrighton (Huddersfield) and Hilary Smyth (Pannal), the new England seniors' captain.
All competitors will play two rounds of strokeplay qualifying, 18 holes on each of Tuesday and Wednesday, April 19 and 20. The leading 16 players will contest the championship matchplay flight while the next 16 players will play in Flight Two. The matchplay stages will take place on Thursday and Friday, April 21 and 22.
For the first time this year the competition will include a consolation stableford for a maximum of 32 players who fail to qualify for the matchplay stages. It will take place on the morning of Thursday, April 21, and will be played after the first round of matches have teed off. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Online scoring will be available throughout the championship and daily news reports will be posted on the website www.englishwomensgolf.org
