England international Chloe Tarbard pulled off three successive come-from-behind victories as she secured her first county honour at Great Yarmouth & Caister.
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play qualifier / 4 rounds of matchplay
The 15-year-old from Royal Norwich will be in action for England U-16s against Spain at Hunstanton this weekend as part of an eight-player side.
But yesterday it was another testing Norfolk venue and she showed all her battling qualifties to beat club-mate Gemma Batty to claim the Norfolk Ladies County Championship.
The former English Schools champion was two down after seven in the final but then won five holes in a row, starting at the eighth, before securing a 4&3 victory.
The conditions – and her mood – were a far cry from Friday and the stroke play qualifier. Unrelenting rain and high winds made for brutal conditions.
“They were the worst conditions I have ever played golf in,” said Tarbard. “I was struggling to hold on to the club on the back nine in the morning round.
“Thankfully the weather improved and it was great to get over the line after losing in the semi-finals the two previous years.”
Tarbard qualified for the knockout stages in fifth. A pair of 83s left her eight shots behind stroke play winner Tiffany Mills (Ryston Park).
In the first matchplay round on Saturday morning the teenager, who will be making her fourth England appearance at Hunstanton, saw off her club-mate Julia Hutchinson 5&4 before finding herself one down with four to play in her quarter-final match-up with Dereham’s Immy Leeder.
However Tarbard won 15, put her hybrid to two feet at the next to grab the lead and then also claimed the 17th to run out a 2&1 winner.
The following morning her semi-final showdown with Mills also became a close-run affair. She was one up after 11 but then lost 12 and 13 to fall behind.
But back she came, taking the next three holes before the 17th was halved which meant she booked her final place.
After lunch Batty started in superb fashion and was three under after seven holes but she struggled on the longer holes around the turn and par golf was enough to put Tarbard three up after 12.
The 13th was halved, another par at 14 saw her advantage extended and the 15th was also halved, which meant the title was hers.