Just champion as Hirst drives to win
LILY Hirst produced a commanding performance to become the first Yorkshire player to win the English Girls’ County Champion of Champions tournament at Woodhall Spa.
The Woodsome Hall player stood head and shoulders above the rest of the field – securing a convincing win on the challenging Hotchkin Course.
The Yorkshire champion carded rounds of 72 and 78 to claim a sixshot victory on four over par 150.
That was more than enough to see the Yorkshire girls’ champion finish six shots ahead of England Girls’ squad member Rafiah Banday from Surrey.
Hirst’s sensible play kept her well ahead of the pack.
She said: “There were a couple of different holes with the bunkers in play and some of the greens played tough.
“I think I had a couple of bad holes in the second round and I dropped back and played safe for a while.
“I kept it risk-free throughout the round.”
She didn’t expect to win, but found she wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the result.
Hirst said: “It was a massive surprise. I thought I might finish in the top 10 so I’m really surprised to win.
“I was so shocked [coming off the 18th] I looked over to my dad and he had a massive grin on his face.”
Runner-up Banday posted two rounds of 78 to clinch second place two shots ahead of Gloucestershire’s Jessica Brown and four in front of Lili Rose Hunt from Worcester and Hereford.
Sussex champion Chloe Burdon closed with a 76 to finish fifth on 161.
Hirst joins Suffolk’s Alice Barlow (2016), Bedfordshire’s Georgia Staroscik (2017) and Sophie Wheeler, (2018) from Essex, as past winners of the event.