FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play
There was a superb effort from Jackie Foster as she became the third ever Senior Women’s Champion of Champions winner at Woodhall Spa.
The Hertfordshire champion of the last three years is a country member at the Lincolnshire venue and used all her considerable skill and knowhow to finish eight shots clear of a strong field which was full of fellow internationals.
Playing in the event for the first time – the Bishops Stortford player is normally away on England duties at the European Championships – she recorded rounds of 73 and 72 on the Bracken course and joins Amanda Mayne (Somerset) and Alison Kelly (Gloucs) as winners of a competition that was first held in 2018.
“Being a country member, I’ve played the course a few times but that doesn’t make it easier,” said Jackie, who was part of the Southern team that won the Veteran Ladies Jamboree at Glenbervie in Scotland last month.
“It is really tricky and you have to be very strategic and I am really pleased to have had two really good rounds on it.”
After day one Jackie shared the lead with Norfolk’s Karen Young.
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She got off to a strong start, almost holing her approach at the fifth before tapping in for birdie and then on the very next – a par five – got up and down from the right side of the green for a four.
It would be her final birdie of the day as bogeys at nine, ten and 12 left her one over going into Sunday’s final round.
Playing alongside Karen and third-placed Jane Southcombe (Dorset), who was one shot further back, Jackie found sand with her opening drive, which led to an opening bogey.
However she got the shot back at the very next hole, firing her second to three feet and also hit an excellent approach to a similar distance at the third to get under par for the day and level for the tournament.
After a run of pars she found water with her second at the eighth and that set up a double bogey.
She also found trouble with her drive at the par five 14th and despite having to reload, managed to walk off with a six.
With her playing partners struggling to match their efforts of the previous day and nobody else making a charge, Jackie was well clear despite the bogey and an excellent up and down from a tricky lie at the back of the 15th green, was the perfect fillip going into the last three holes.
At the par five 17th, the champion elect was close in two and chipped to six feet before holing out before she rounded things off in brilliant fashion at the short par four last, pitching to two inches for a tap-in three and a level-par round.
Kent’s Kim Morris moved into second thanks to a second-round 77 with the Dorset champion just a shot further back in third.