Kingsdown duo sneak through

KINGSDOWN’S Trish Phillips and Pam Stratford won a testing play-off at Upavon to be one of the first clubs to make it through to the fifth round of the Daily Mail Foursomes. ‘We hadn’t realised we could be such determined old ladies,’ joked 68-year-old Phillips. She added: ‘We were hanging in the whole way round. Do your damnedest and do what you can. That’s how we play.’ The match against the Upavon pair of Emma Stradling and Louise Woods see-sawed from start to finish and there were never more than two holes between them. The visitors finally clinched the win at the first extra hole. Phillips said: ‘After 17 holes we were all square. Pam said, “Hit one of your best drives ever.” I hit the worst shot you’ve ever seen in your life.’ The duo are clearly savouring their success with Phillips saying: ‘We’ve had an absolute ball, we have got so much further than we ever thought.’ They are now three matches away from a place in the October finals held at the Marriott St Pierre in Chepstow.