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Hayley Davis put on a top class show to leave the field standing and win the English women’s stroke play championship by an impressive six shots at Tandridge in Surrey.
The 21-year-old international from Dorset was applauded off the 18th green by the large crowd of spectators who gathered to watch her win her third English title with a 72-hole total of four-under par.
It is her first victory in 18 months and she remarked: “I haven’t won anything for a while and it was really nice to do it with my mum, nan and granddad watching.”
She adds this to the English women’s amateur championship, which she won at her first attempt as a 17-year-old, and the English girls’ title. “It’s lovely to have all three,” she added.
Hayley received an additional prize for her triumph when she was made an honorary member of Tandridge Golf Club at the prize presentation. “That was a complete surprise and really exciting,” she said.
Hayley was the only player to finish the event under par and she set up her win with a superb score of seven-under 64 in the third round. It powered her away from the field, giving her an eight-stroke lead with 18 holes to play.
“This course is really good but it’s tough and it was nice to have a bit of a buffer and not to feel that I had to go low again,” she said. What she did was put on a display of excellent, controlled golf which sent a clear message to her rivals that she wasn’t budging from the lead.
She parred 11 straight holes, had a birdie on 12 and a couple of bogeys on the closing holes to return a final round 72. She impressed the watching members with her skill on their quick, slippery greens and with her deft touch with the wedges. “I played good,” was Hayley’s verdict.
While she marched steadily towards the title a battle royal was being played out for the place of runner-up. It was eventually won by Welsh international Becky Harries, who birdied two of the last four holes to finish the event on two over par. She was one ahead of Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro) who shot a great closing 65 and of Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) who was one-under for the final round.
Fifth place went to French international Emilie Alonso who was 68, 67 for the final two rounds; while former champion Alex Peters (Notts Ladies’) won sixth prize, pipping Dulcie Sverdloff (Garon Park).
Hayley also won the U21 and U23 trophies, while the U18 trophy went to 14-year-old Bel Wardle of Prestbury, Cheshire.
