An exceptional effort on the par threes played a major part in Hendon’s Junko Moriuchi finishing as the leading qualifier in the South Regional Final of the England Golf Women’s Medal at Stoneham GC in Hampshire.
Junko, who has twice qualifed for the final before (both times in eighth), birdied three of the five short holes on her way to 33 points. That gave her the victory on countback from Hayling’s Hannah Hellyer.
The Middlesex player was one of six players to make it through to the Grand Final, which will take place during England Golf Week at Woodhall Spa in August.
“Normally if I play the par threes well I tend to score pretty well,” said Junko. “It was a difficult course and the ground was soft so the ball was not rolling.
“It is certainly a beautiful course – and I was very happy to be there – but coming from London we don’t get much heather and at times it was pretty intimidating.”
With no one playing to their handicap the Hampshire venue certainly caused plenty of the 67 entrants a great deal of problems.
Junko, who started playing golf after she moved from Japan in 1994 and plays off six, grabbed twos at the second, eighth and tenth.
The other four women to qualify were Emily Ford (Copthorne), Maria Diegan (Wimbledon Park), Jo Luff (Grim’s Dyke) and Gachel Grunwerg (Hockley).