A wonderfully-composed effort from Hertfordshire’s Jackie Foster secured her the biggest win of her life in the Women’s Senior Amateur at Woodhall Spa yesterday.
FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
The 2021 English Senior Champion of Champions winner started the day with a two-shot lead and in the final shake-up maintained that gap over former Curtis Cup player Emma Brown and the world’s No 1 senior player – Nadene Gole (Australia).
Eight successive pars around the turn broke the resolve of her nearest challengers and Foster could afford to bogey three of the last four.
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“It’s amazing,” the 59-year-old said. “My aim really for the week was to make the first cut, and then to do well enough to make the second cut. I’m thrilled. I can’t believe it. It’s beyond my wildest dreams.”
Foster overcame the shock of watching her playing parter Gole hole her second. Lying 150 yards from the flag, the Australian’s six iron approach found the bottom of the cup for an eagle.
“At the start of the day, I thought to myself ‘I’ve had three good rounds so far, am I going to be able to keep it going for another round?’” retired policewoman Foster said. “I was steady over the front nine, going out in level par.
“I knew where I was against Nadene but at halfway my husband Ian, who caddied for me, said there was quite a gap between us and the rest of the field. So it was just a case of keep trying to make pars.
“I got really edgy at the end but it’s hard to win. This achievement has to be at the top of what I’ve done in golf. Four rounds over two tough golf courses is hard so to win is almost unbelievable. And to do it here is extra special.”
In the men’s event New Zealander John Paterson won by five shots over Englishman John Kemp after he finished on a total of eight-under-par 283 thanks to rounds of 73, 69, 68 and a closing 73.
The 62-year-old Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club member is the first Kiwi to win the prestigious trophy since the inaugural 1969 championship.
Paterson was also making his championship debut. “It’s crazy,” he said. “I played with some good golfers this week but I like being in that white hot competition. It’s just really exciting. You don’t get many of these chances in your life to win big events like this.”