Midland Girls U-21s develops into two-way battle
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play
There was a great two-way battle in the Midlands Girls U-21s at Stoke Rochford where Cambridgeshire’s Ella Mason nudged clear on the back nine to win by three shots yesterday.
For most of the tournament the 19-year-old from Ely City was just about holding off the challenge of Nottinghamshire’s Jorja Newbold.
However the Oakmere Park player took a two-shot lead by eagling the eighth in the final round. Unfortunately for Newbold she recorded a double bogey at the next while Mason went back ahead at the 10th and was never headed.
The victory, her first regional title, represents a huge confidence booster for the University of Tampa student, who admitted that her first year playing collegiate golf hasn’t gone as well as she had hoped.
“I am really glad I went out there and I have been doing a lot of work on the mental side,” said Mason.
“But it has been challenging from a golf perspective and I have not been striking it how I wanted.”
The teenager, who was part of the Cambs & Hunts team who just missed out winning the East region county qualifier at Harpenden, has always had a strong short game and once again it came to the fore although she did get a bit frustrated on the greens.
“It felt like the ball didn’t want to go in at times but it was great to get over the line and my short game was really good.”
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On the final day, Mason chipped at the 11th to move two clear before both players bogeyed the par three 12th and then birdied the short par four 13th.
Unfortunately for Newbold she bogeyed 15 while her playing partner remained rock solid down the stretch, parring in from 14 on her way to a closing 74.
However the event nearly proved extremely memorable for the Nottinghamshire junior who remarkably hit the pin with her second shot at the par five fourth in successive rounds (2 & 3).
Meanwhile, in the first round, Mason set the tone by chipping in at the first on her way to an opening 74 (+2). She followed that up with one-over-par 73 to take the lead going into the final round at the Lincolnshire venue.