George Washington course record falls to England U-16s champion
Stand-out teenager Maggie Whitehead secured her third course record thanks to four closing birdies as she won the Northern Golfer Champion of Champions event at the George Washington resort yesterday.
The event is an invitational-only competition for the club champions of Northumberland, County Durham and some clubs in Yorkshire and the 15-year-old won the gross prize by 11 shots as she posted a brilliant six-under-par 68.
She qualified for the competition last year by virtue of winning the Close House Club Championship with another course record – a four-under-par 67. She also jointly holds the lowest score at Ramside Hall.
At George Washington the plus four handicapper also took the nett prize in recording her lowest ever competition round. She opened up by holing out from a bunker for eagle and then birdied in from 15.
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“When I was four under after four I thought I might be able to go really low,” said the England U-16s champion.
“But it didn’t really happen around the turn so it was really nice to finish like that. It was also really nice to win a nett prize. I don’t think I’ve won one of those since I was about 11.”
After birdieing three and four, and then just missing out on another one at the fifth, the England Girls squad member three putted for a bogey at the seventh and then hit her second into a bush at the 11th. A six saw her drop back to two under but the final flourish started with a 12 footer for a two at 15.
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She then rolled one in from nine feet at the next, drained a 25-footer at 17 and rounded things off with another 12-footer at the last.
The Northumberland player is now looking forward to the German Girls Open at the start of next month before she finishes off her GCSE exams in June.