England Women’s U-25s proves a hit with leading players and Berkhamsted ace
Hannah Screen certainly saved her best until last at Woburn yesterday in winning the inaugural England Women’s U-25s by seven shots.
FORMAT: 54-hole stroke play
The Duchess course’s tight, tree-lined fairways caused the field considerable problems and going into the final round, nobody had broken par.
However the 22-year-old former England Overseas squad member, starting the third round one back of Australia’s Abbie Teasdale, birdied three of the first six holes on her way to a four-under 69. The next best score yesterday was 76.
The Berkhamsted player only arrived back in the country on Saturday having just graduated from the University of Oklahoma and she was thrilled to get over the line after six years without a victory. Her last win came in the Telegraph Junior Golf Championship in 2016.
“It was a great day,” said Screen. “I wasn’t really feeling that good about my swing but I really took my time over every shot and just forgot about the scores.
“But it was my putting that made the big difference. I holed quite a few good par putts at crucial times.”
Playing in the second last group, the Hertfordshire golfer got a dream start as she sunk a birdie effort from 14 feet at the second and then stiffed her approach at the third.
At the par five sixth she was just short in two and managed to get up and down for birdie number three.
At the devlish par three seventh she, and most of the field, could not hold the putting surface and that set up a bogey, which would be quickly followed by another as her drive ran through the fairway on eight and into trouble.
But thereafter she kepy a bogey off the card and added three more birdies, the first of those coming at the par five tenth where she sank another long birdie effort (15 feet).
The 15th is another par five which she took full advantage of but not before she sank crucial par putts from eight feet (the 13th) and six feet (14th) to maintain the momentum of the round.
She then saw the scoreboard for the first time at 16, which had her five in front.
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“That was the first time I knew where I was and it made me relax,” added Screen.
“All the way around I told myself someone else was playing really well to help make sure I didn’t let up.”
There would also be a fabulous final flourish for the leader at the last where she rolled in a 30-footer to get to level par for the tournament. She also had her dad on the bag for the final hole.
Kent’s Ellena Slater stayed in second while the second-round leader dropped back to third. A run of five successive bogeys on the front nine killed Teasdale’s chances.