Amy Staveley joined a who’s who of women’s golf by adding her name to the list of winners of the North of England U-16s Girls Open at Heswall.
FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
The 15-year-old Ganton player has, by her own admission, not had the best of years, but everything really clicked for her at the Cheshire venue as she finished four shots clear of Swiss international Sophia Sindersberger.
Amy, who only broke par in competition for the first time earlier this month, joins the likes of Solheim Cup players Carlota Ciganda and Bronte Law, former England internationals Kelly Tidy, Alex Peters and Lily May Humphreys plus current junior stars Rachel Gourley and Patience Rhodes as champions.
Amy Staveley breaks Alwoodley course record
However the England regional squad member had no idea she was so far ahead as she reached the 72nd hole.
“I was really scrambling a bit towards the end but I was getting really tired,” said Amy. “My trolley died on the 18th and I remember saying to it: ‘I feel the same as you’.
“Everyone was watching in the clubhouse and I was so nervous on the final green. I was shaking so much over the putts.”
The Yorkshire player – she made her debut for the full county side earlier this year – raced her birdie putt on the final hole four feet past but remained composed enough to sink the tester coming back to finish 13 under par.
“I have never shot four under-par rounds in a row before,” added Amy. “After the first and second rounds I spoke to my coaches (Gary Brown and Andrew Nicholson) and they were so helpful and helped me keep calm.
“It was also amazing for my friends Zara (Ali) and Charlotte (Colley) to wait for two hours to support me on the last hole.”
There were 36 holes played on the final day and Amy started it level with Hollinwell’s Amelia Wan.
However she burst into the lead with a brilliant front nine, racking up five birdies to turn in 32 and she ended posting her best ever round (-5).
Her 69 left her four clear of the Nottinghamshire junior although she had a slight wobble in the afternoon. A double bogey on 10 gave the rest of the field hope but she kept responding well when faced with adversity and a birdie at 17 all-but sealed the deal.
Earlier in the week she didn’t get off to the best of starts. In round one she was two over after 12 holes having bogeyed the 11th and 12th but her challenge exploded into life at the very next as she holed out for eagle from 124 yards.
Another eagle followed at the 15th and a further birdie at the last saw her finish with a three-under-par 71, which was one behind early leader Ellen Yates (West Hill).
Amy, who finished runner-up to Jess Hall at the North of England Closed Championship at Brancepeth Castle at the start of the month, returned the next day to post another 71 and take the lead, one she would not lose.
In the U-14s event, winner Isabella Taylor-Stokes (Styal) finished seven shots clear of Buckinghamshire’s Roisin Scanlon (Woburn).