Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Gobsmacked by England seniors call
Scott Lindsay had back-toback birdies to win Sunday’s men’s 13 holes Founders Plate qualifying competition at Canterbury GC.
He won on countback over the final nine holes from Jeremy Keeler, with a net 48.
With holes 10-14 still shut after the recent downpours the field of 88 played off reduced handicaps allowance. Lindsay (h20, allowed 14) started with a par at the par five first and had successive birdies at the seventh and eighth for an excellent five over par outward nine of 41. Pulled tee shots at the 16th and17thcosthimapairof double bogeys but a six at the par five 18th was enough to hold off Keeler (h10, a7), who missed out despite a fine round featuring a birdie, eight pars and four bogeys. Andrew Williamson (h12, a9) took third place a shot back with a gross 58, net 49. Lindsay, who also won the five club Blake Cup off a handicap of 24 last April, said: “I have never had back-to- back birdies before and that made the round.
“I had a good drive and second shot with a hybrid at the seventh and hit a nice wedge to 10 feet but the putt hovered on the edge and made me wait before it dropped. Then I hit a wedge to eight feet at the eighth.’’
“It was only over 13 holes so I’ll put it in context but I was pleased with the way I did that today so I’ll take it and move on.
“I got my handicap down four shots last year and I’d like to do at least the same this year but you never know with golf.’’ The top 31, plus last year’s winner Liam Kirkham, qualified for the Founders Plate knock-out stages.
■ Club captains Sarah Wetherell (h25) and John Shepherd (h7) got off to a winning start in the 123 mixed competition on Saturday when they teamed up, along with Alyson Wreford (h17) and Mick Provan (h9,), to win with a score of 56 points.
Ladies captain Wetherell played well in her first ever mixed competition, in wet and blustery conditions, and is already planning to team up with Shepherd again for the Whitehead Salver. Seniors captain Neil Parsonson (h13) also had a good round, scoring the only two birdies of the day as he and team-mates Stephen Bowles (h16), Cath Smith (h17) and Christine Bowles (h33) scored 54 points for second place.
Canterbury Golf Club member Angela Jones has been appointed as the new England ladies’ seniors captain. Angela has regularly played seniors county golf for Kent, alongside Canterbury ladies’ champion Ali Kingston, and in the British and English stroke play championships.
But now she has become the first Canterbury member to captain a national side and without having previously played for England.
She said: “A friend of mine saw the job had been advertised and said I should apply. I did, was interviewed and they rang me in the afternoon to say I had got the job.
“I was absolutely delighted, gobsmacked really, because it all happened so quickly and because I really thought you would have had to have played for England to be considered as captain but England Golf assured me that was not the case.” Canterbury GC president, Keri Mathiaswilliams, said: “It’s fantastic, a huge honour both for Angela and the club and we are very proud of her.’’ Angela, who is based in Canterbury and Brussels, takes over from Debbie Richards who stepped down at the end of the successful 2019 campaign.
And she has promised to adopt an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ strategy when taking charge of a squad that won last year’s European championships.
But she will look for the marginal gains that could help the women regain the Home International title from Ireland, England having been denied victory last year only on countback.
She said: “It’s a real challenge for me to help the team maintain the high standards set under Debbie’s captaincy. “I know Debbie well having played with her over the years and I was able to help Debbie with course notes when the Europeans were in Belgium at a venue I knew well.
“I got a feel for her role at that time and was delighted to be given this chance. “I’m starting from the position of if it isn’t broken, there’s no need to fix it but, of course, that does not stop you looking to make improvements.
“You can always look to find that 1% from somewhere – the critical nonessentials that you hear so many people speak about at the top level in sport.” Angela is a fine player in her own right – playing off a handicap of four at Canterbury and is also a member of Kampenhout Golf Club, on the outskirts of Brussels.
She will continue to play in England Golf senior women’s events and study the form and also the interaction between squad players as she plots her European and Home International campaigns. Angela is taking a phased retirement from her own management consultancy firm and is ready to devote more time to golf this season.
Having built a career as an expert in leadership and organisational culture, she should feel right at home skippering England, saying: “I love playing senior county golf for Kent and will continue to play as much as I can this season. “I already know most of the women from competing against them over the years and playing this year will give me the chance to observe as many potential squad players as possible.” England are scheduled to defend their European title under Angela’s leadership at the Black Sea Rama resort in Bulgaria in September. The Home Internationals are due to take place later that same month at West Kilbride GC, Scotland.