Role models are vital in a young player’s development

GIRLS coming up through the Welsh amateur golfing ranks have never been short of role models.

Ever since Vicki Thomas won the first of her eight Welsh Ladies Championship crowns in the late 70s, under her maiden name Rawlings, to Tegwen Matthews making Curtis Cup history in 2012 by leading the Great Britain and Ireland amateur women’s team to their first Curtis Cup win over America since 1996, with rising amateur star Amy Boulden under her wing, there’s been a plenty of stellar names to aspire to.

And despite turning to the potential fame and fortune of the paid ranks and the Ladies European Tour, Boulden hasn’t forgotten her Welsh roots deeply embedded in the amateur game after taking on the role as a player ambassador for Golf Development Wales.

The 23-year-old St Asaph-born professional first took up her role with GDW in early 2015, just after being named the Ladies European Tour rookie of the year recording four top-10 finishes including a second place at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.

She finished third at the Sberbank Golf Masters in the Czech Republic, fourth at the Ladies German Open presented by Marriott and 10th at the Tenerife Open de España Femenino.

With season’s earnings of €83,982.17, she finished 18th on the 2014 Order of Merit, five places ahead of the second placed rookie Watson.

That year she also won the Association Suisse de Golf Ladies Open on the LET Access Series in May.

And having made her own mark on the professional game, she set about encouraging the next generation of female golfers during a beginners scheme aimed at women and girls looking to take up the sport.

Any club signing up to join the beginner scheme could win a clinic with Boulden, a Llandudno resident and one of the rising stars of womens golf.

She said: “I am excited about being the new Women and Girls Ambassador for Golf Development Wales.

“This is a real honour for me having come through the amateur ranks playing for Wales and now playing professionally on the Ladies European Tour, achieving Rookie of the Year for 2014.

“Golf is a fantastic sport that has enriched my life since playing it from a young age and as part of my role as GDW ambassador sharing this experience is something I am very much looking forward to.

“It also provides a number of skills to people of all ages including team work, social skills, communication, commitment, movement skills and fitness to name just a few all of which have helped me in personally and professionally.

“I would encourage anyone to take up this great sport and to show my commitment any club that runs a GDW beginner Women or Girls scheme in 2015 will be entered in to a prize draw to win a personal clinic with me at their club.

“I came up through the ranks in Wales so I am always glad to give anything back that I can.

“It is great to see so many people – it’s a little surreal when they ask for autographs and things.

“There certainly seem to be a lot more girls taking up golf than when I was coming through.”

Another to help get youngsters achieve their driving ambition in Welsh golf in recent years has been Boulden’s fellow LET pro Lydia Hall who just a few months ago claimed the Golf Union of Wales Tour Professional of the Year Award after making history as the first woman to beat the men in a British professional golf tournament.

Hall , daughter of former Wales and Bridgend hooker Wayne, had an excellent year on the Ladies European Tour, finishing in the Top 20 on the money list with the highlight being a second place in Qatar, but it was on the links of Tenby that she made history by winning the Welsh PGA Championship against a field which included European Tour winners Phil Price and Stephen Dodd.

She followed Price, Dodd and Ian Woosnam in having her name on the trophy in the 100th year of the Welsh PGA.

The former British Masters champion became the first female to win a PGA National Event in the process, she also won the Women’s PGA Order of Merit and had three top-10 finishes on the Ladies European Tour.

“It is just great to get the recognition, following Boulden and Becky Brewerton’s name is on there as well,” said Hall, after receiving the GUW Award.

“Coming second in the Qatar Ladies Open and winning the Welsh PGA were equal highlights of the year, being on Tour is my job and my career while the PGA side of things is new to me.

“When I entered I was a little naive in terms of the history of what I was entering, I just went with the open mind that I might learn something playing with the guys and then I was just really proud when I lifted the trophy that I was the first ever female and it was the 100th year of the tournament.”

“Lydia is a well deserved winner of the Touring Professional award despite some very tough competition from the likes of Bradley Dredge who had such a good year on the European Tour, while Phil Price and Stephen Dodd both made their mark on the Seniors Tour,” said Golf Union of Wales chief executive Richard Dixon.

“But the Welsh golf awards are about so much more than just the touring professionals who represent Wales around the world, there is so much good work going on at golf clubs all around Wales.”