A number of Welsh golfers have enjoyed an excellent start to 2023 and Burnham & Berrow’s Harriet Lockley continued the trend with the narrowest of victories in the Comboy Scratch at Delamere Forest.
FORMAT: 36-hole strokeplay
Hot on the heels of the impressive efforts of James Ashfield (Spanish Amateur stroke play leader), Caolan Burford (Spanish Amateur semi-finalist) and Tomi Bowen (Bernard Darwin Youth Salver champion), the 18-year-old edged out Maggie Whitehead and fellow Welsh player Annabel Collis on countback.
Playing in the popular open event for the first time in four years, Lockley was four down to Collis at halfway and three back of her playing partner Whitehead but she rallied brilliantly around the turn after lunch to close with a 73 in the toughest of the conditions.
Having opened with a 72, the Burnham player struggled over the opening holes but an impressive up and down on eight kick-started her round.
She rolled one in from 20 feet for a birdie on nine and then also birdied 11 and 12 as the winds got up. Alongside her Whitehead finished with a three-over-par 76 while Collis (Mold GC) could only manage a 77 in the afternoon with all three players finishing one under overall.
Just a shot further back were English Champion of Champions Luca Thompson (Pavenham Park) and Scottish U-16s champion Ellise Rymer (Lincoln).