Championships - Senior Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship 2009
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Pyle & Kenfig will host the 2009 Senior Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship
07.09.2009
2009 Senior Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship Preview
Ireland’s Valerie Hassett (1996), Sweden’s Christina Birke (2003), and Canada’s Diane Williams (1995) and Alison Murdoch (2007) know better than most what it will take to win this year’s Senior Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship at Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club on the South Wales coast from the 15th – 17th September.They have all held the championship trophy aloft in their triumphant years. Last year’s winner, Chris Utermarck (Germany), and the player she beat in a play-off for the title, Susan Dye (Delamere Forest), at Hilton Templepatrick in Northern Ireland, are absentees this time round.
That will boost the hopes Janet Melville (Sherwood Forest), who played under the name of Janet Collingham last year, Lorna Bennett (Ladybank), Jane Rees (Hendon), Fiona de Vries (St Rule), Vicki Thomas (Carmarthen) and Viveca Hoff (Sweden) who filled the next six positions on the final leaderboard 12 months ago.
Melville, Bennett and Thomas are jointly the lowest handicapped players in the field. All had an actual handicap of 0.3 when they submitted their entries. Handicaps, of course, are immaterial in a 54-hole stroke-play championship in which only the gross scores count but they do give a rough guide to the players who are likely to be in contention for the Clark Trophy which was president by Miss Linda Clark to the LGU for annual competition.
After all, a player’s handicap rating reflects, or should reflect, her potential average score per round. Janet Melville, like Lorna Bennett and Jane Rees finished only one stroke behind the play-off participants last year and they would not be human if they had not replayed their three rounds – in thought if not in reality – over and over again to see where they might have saved at least one shot here, or another shot there that would have promoted them from runners-up.
Melville was a rookie senior last year after a stellar amateur career which just about makes her the favourite on paper to land the major over-50s prize this year. Janet Collingham, as she was then, beat Sue Shapcott at the 19th in the final of the 1987 Ladies British open amateur championship. And she has represented England at all age levels of amateur golf: girls, ladies and now seniors.
She was probably unlucky never to have gained Curtis Cup honours – 1987 being a Vagliano Trophy year, and she played in the GB&I Vagliano Trophy teams of 1979 and 1987as well as Great Britain’s Commonwealth Trophy team of 1987.
She was a member of England’s women’s home internationals line-up, on and off, between 1978 and 1992, which is quite a long time to be regarded as one of your country’s top eight players.
Last year, her first in the over-50s competitions, saw Janet Melville, as she is now known, win the English senior stroke-play title and, as we have said above, be officially placed third in the Senior Ladies British open amateur championship.
Lorna Bennett, from Ladybank Golf Club in Fife, has a leading competitor in Scottish senior’ tournaments since she turned 50. She won her native seniors’ match-play title in 2007 and 2008, beating Fiona de Vries (St Rule) at the 20th in last year’s final.
De Vries also won the Scottish Veteran Ladies Championship last year.
Jane Rees and Vicki Thomas are two of the leading Welsh seniors. Details of Vicki’s record as an amateur could fill a book – She played with distinction in every Curtis Cup match from 1982 to 1992 inclusive and won the Welsh championship eight times between 1979 and 1991. Jane won the Welsh seniors stroke-play title two years ago and her native seniors championship in 2008.
The leading overseas player is expected to be Alison Murdoch from Victoria Golf Club, Vancouver. Winner of the Seniors Ladies British’ amateur championship in 2007, Alison has also won the Canadian senior women’s title five teams and two years ago she crossed the Atlantic to win not only the “British” but also the Irish senior women’s open amateur title – her third success in the Irish tournament over a four-year span.
From the Continent, expect to see another prominent display from Viveca Hoff (Sweden) who was runner-up in this championship in 2005 and 2006 and, earlier this summer she came third in the European senior women’s championship in Greece.
And the German team who were surprise winners of the European senior women’s team championship at Dun Laoghaire in Ireland last week will be looking to carry on the good work as individuals at Pyle & Kenfig.
Competitors will be play 18 holes on each of the first two days. The lowest 40 and ties at the end of two rounds will play a further 18 holes on the Thursday.
THE VENUE
Pyle and Kenfig golf course, affectionately known as P&K, with its lofty sand dunes hugging the South Wales coast of Porthcawl, is situated in a wonderful stretch of golfing country that is also home to Southerndown and Royal Porthcawl golf clubs.
Glorious views and historic associations adorn this undulating links course with its natural hazards of hillocks, valleys and towering dunes.
Established in 1922, the original course was laid out by that great architect H S Colt but World War II enforced many changes. Play was reduced to nine holes, the Army authorities requisitioning the remainder.
A rough track bisecting the course was made into a metalled road and the route by the sea became so popular with the public after the War that play on the nearby fairways was both distracting and dangerous. It was decided to extend the Pyle & Kenfig course seawards. P Mackenzie Ross, who was invited to design the new holes, described the terrain as a golfer’s paradise, providing ample tests for the most skilled o player.
It is situated in a region of marram clad sand dunes, far more diversified than the old course. Part of the back nine has been designated a European Special Area of Conservation.
In more recent years, there has been a widening of fairways and general clearance of the tall fern plus the repositioning of bunkers. The course is now a wonderful test for all standards of golfers and, from the back tees, a true championship test.
DIRECTIONS
Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club is about a 40min drive from Cardiff. Take the M4 Motorway (signposted Bridgend) and carry on for about 20 miles. Leave the M4 at Junction 37. Then, at roundabout, take the first exit on to the A4229, Follow the signpost to Porthcawl.
Admission is free and spectators are welcome.
For further information please contact:
Fraser Munro
Championship manager
Ladies’ Golf Union
Tel: +44 (1) 1334 475 811
Email: fraser.munro@lgu.org
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