Twenty years after her first county success, Kelly Cooke claimed her second Hertfordshire title, holding off a late fightback from 2021 champion Emmanuelle Hewson at Hadley Wood.
FORMAT 36-hole stroke play / 3 rounds of matchplay
The former pro, who returned to the amateur ranks in 2015, won the first two holes and was never headed but having been dormie three, lost 16 and 17 before comfortably holding on at the last.
Last year the 2016 finalist reached the knockout stages while being nearly six months pregnant and this year wife Beth and their baby daughter Rory followed them around for the majority of the final.
It was only when Rory nipped inside for a feed that Cooke had her first mini wobble, Hewson winning 13 and 14 to get back to two down.
“I said to my dad (and caddy Peter Hutcherson) that they better come back quickly,” said the Welwyn Garden City member.
“She was as good as gold. She fell asleep on the first and only woke up at the 12th and I was glad they were able to rejoin us at 15.
The 41-year-old won the 15th to go three up before both players drove into a ditch on 16 and Hewson took on the challenge of not taking a drop and was rewarded with that bravery by getting it out first time.
Cooke still had a ten footer to win it but just missed and then had a better chance at 17 but, having stuck her birdie attempt six foot past, missed the one coming back to leave herself one up with one to play.
At 18 the Mid Herts player found trouble while her opponent forced her hand by finding the putting surface in regulation. Cooke had a 15 footer for birdie while Hewson left herself five feet for bogey so the soon-to-be champion rolled it up to inside foot and that was that.
Cooke, who qualified for the knockout stages in second – behind her final opponent – also paid tribute to her dad, who was also on the bag when she won the event in 2002.
“He is my stalwart caddy. He knows my game inside out and always says the right thing at the right time. He keeps me calm when it’s not quite working which is exactly what is needed in matchplay. He always says he has walked some of the best golf courses pushing my bag..”