Clays golf club had a busy week when the Welsh Girls Championships gained the benefit of an excellent golf course and first class organization during its play over the qualifying and eventual match play rounds.
The thirty six holes qualifier was played last Wednesday and panned out fairly true to form considering that Wrexham’s Chloe Williams was playing abroad and not featuring in the event. Katie Bradbury of Cottrell Park established an early grip on the event with a morning 71 followed by a 74 for a 145 total that led by five strokes from Georgia Lewis of Llanishen on 150. India Friswell of Wrexham was ranked fifth and Jessica Jones of Wrexham in fourteenth place, both girls within the sixteen required for the match play rounds to follow. Amy Toft of Northop and Amy Clarke of Old Padeswood were in seventh and twelfth places respectively.
Thursday witnessed number one seed Katie Bradbury win the first round by two holes and her quarter final by six and five, Jessica and India unfortunately being drawn against each other in the quarters in which Jessica triumphed on the twenty first hole, both Amy Toft and Amy Clarke going down in the first round.
Jessica has the misfortune to be drawn against the in form Katie for her semi final which she narrowly lost by two and one with Sarah Rees Evans becoming the other finalist by beating Miriam Hassan by two and one also.
The final went true to form with Katie winning the event and Sarah becoming runner up.
Thank were expressed to Clays by the officials of the Golf Union of Wales at the presentation following the final.
Clays also hosted last Sunday’s County match when Denbighshire took on old rivals Flintshire.
The Denbighshire team was drawn from just two clubs in the county and comprised Andrew Bostock, Jamie Durkin, Kevin Matthias and Alyn Torrence of Wrexham, and Iain Hayes, Howard Lea, Josh Lloyd and Paul Strange of Abergele.
The morning foursomes went the way of the host county with Denbighshire leading by 3½ to ½ to establish a very handy lead before the singles in the afternoon.
A win by Alyn Torrence and a half by Jamie Durkin after lunch added to the early points, but a reversal to the tune of three consecutive losses let Flintshire back into the equation before two halved games gave Denbighshire overall victory by 6½ to 5½ .
The next match is against Caernarfonshire at Abersoch on 21st August.
Wrexham’s professional Paul Williams held his professional’s Day at his home club last Saturday and attracted a full field of players throughout the day. The final tee time was in the region of 3.30 p.m. to enable results to be available for the evening presentation.
Ladies’ winner was Jo Davies with 37 points from runner up Jane Mullet Prandle with 36 and Hazel Parry in third place with 35.
The mens’ winner was Ian Arnold on 43 points followed by Alan Stone on 40 and then a card play off for third place between Andrew Purdy, Andy Ward and Alan Prandle who were ranked in that order with 39 points each.
The Junior Ted Clutton trophy went to Jak Hughes with 44 points from second placed Lucy Jones with 41.