WOMEN’S OPEN
LYDIA HALL from Pencoed pulled off a superb tied fifth finish in the New South Wales Open that was staged at Coffs Harbour Golf Club, writes Tony Poole.
The third event on the Ladies European Tour schedule saw Lydia riding high on the scoreboard throughout the four days.
Though she opened up with a two-over-par round of 73, it was more than compensated on day two by a sizzling score of 65.
That left Lydia on a fourunder-par score of 138, and just two shots off the lead.
On moving day, she had to settle for a par round of 71, leaving her in a tied sixth situation, and just two shots off the lead held by England’s Meghan MacLaren.
In her final round, Lydia shot a three-under-par score of 68, containing three early birdies and two more were carded during the inward nine holes.
And her score would have been even better if she hadn’t carded a double-bogey on the fifth hole.
So, Lydia ended up with scores of 73, 65, 71, 68 for a seven-under-par total of 277.
But MacLaren, aged 23 from the Wellingborough club in Northants, went on to gain a first Ladies European Tour win.
She shot rounds of 71, 67, 65, 71 for a winning 10-under-par score of 274 blows to win by two shots from three players – Casey Danielson (USA), Silvia Banon (Spain) and Marita a Engzelius (Norway).
“Well done Australia, you’ve delivered five weeks of good golf to take with us to South Africa,” said Lydia.
She added: “Thanks too to the Australian and European Tours for the part they played in staging five fantastic events.’’
The Ladies European Tour now heads to South Africa with players teeing it up tomorrow (Thursday) in the Investec SA Women’s Open that’s being staged at the Westlake club in Cape Town. tournament that forms the opening shots on the Welsh Order of Merit in South Wales.
Selectors down the years have regarded the Duncan Putter as an indicator of early season form
The traditional dinner is being held on April 4 followed by a practice day, and the opening shots will be fired on April 6.
But to meet the demands of the modern game, the tournament this year has a new format.
Owing to the event slipping down world rankings – in the main caused by less world ranked players teeing it up in Ogmore-bySea – it’s switching from a two-day competition to three.
Another core reason for the change is a clash of dates with other important tournaments.
Round One is now being staged on April 6 (Friday); the day after a further 18 holes will be held and the concluding 36 holes are then on Sunday.
The change has also been made as in the past it hasn’t always been easy to get all the players around in daylight hours.
And the more relaxed format has led to the entry-list increasing from 66 players to 100.
Defending champion is teenager Charlie Strickland of the Ham Manor club in Angmering, West Sussex, who triumphed in 2017 with an exceptional six-under-par score of 274.
The inaugural tournament was staged way back in 1959 with Gordon Huddy, a Yorkshire county player, winning the day.
Meanwhile, owing to the cold weather, Southerndown last Friday called off a Charity Luncheon, and are now looking to stage the event later in the month.
But a more rapid thaw that anticipated led to the club last Sunday staging the March leg of the Hardy Annuals competition.
It resulted in 47 Hardy golfers teeing it up, and victory on a toasty 39 Stableford points went to Jeremy Martin Smith.
His winning card displayed 11 pars, five bogeys and blobs on holes nine and 13.
His victory was by one point over Mark Pridham, who birdied the 16th hole, carded four pars, but got a no-return on hole 12.
A two on the fifth hole was the highlight in a 37-point return from third-placed Alun Reed while JPR Davies (two on hole 14 and birdie on the fourth green) and Simon Jenkins (two on hole 14) matched the score.
Teenager Morgan Grace claimed sixth place with a fine card of par 36 points displaying a Tutu (twos on holes 10 and 14) along with further birdies on holes eight and 15.
He, however, was held back by a blob on the third hole.
Two other players matched par, Ian Meredith (two on the 10th hole) and RH Thomas, and on the 35-point mark came ex-club captain Colin Edmunds, Byron Evans and Colin Donovan.