Having won the stroke play qualifier by a staggering 10 shots, Hampshire’s Kerry Smith completed the job in the matchplay stages to claim her first English Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Stoneham.
FORMAT: 54-hole stroke play qualifier / 4 rounds of matchplay
Smith set the bar high from the off at the Hampshire venue but yesterday’s final with defending champion Cath Rawthore turned into a knife-edge showdown with the Cheshire player only succumbing in unfortunate circumstances at the last.
Playing in the tournament for the second time, the Waterlooville player also had a tough quarter-final battle with 2021 champion Tracey Williamson, who twice fought back from three down before eventually losing at the second extra hole.
For Smith, a former England Ladies Order of Merit winner, there was enormous satisfaction in playing so consistently across all five days. In the stroke play stages she was level par for her three rounds while Broadstone’s Jane Southcombe was next best on 10 over.
Smith told England Golf: “I’m really pleased. I started off the week really nicely in the stroke play qualifying and managed to carry it all the way through into the match play.
“I was really pleased with my game this week. I struck the ball really nicely and holed some very good putts and taking all that confidence from the stroke play to the match play definitely does help.
“The final was a fantastic match. Cath is a really good player, she doesn’t stop and she never gives up which is really annoying but thankfully I managed to win on the last!”
In yesterday’s final Rawthore showed all her class once again having stormed into the decider with two 5&4 victories and a 6&5 success in the morning semi-final tie with Sophie Bearsdall (Greetham Valley).
But a poor drive at the last against Smith proved decisive. The Sale player had to take a drop and a par was enough for Smith to win the hole and the championship.