The improving summer weather and great playing conditions on the Duchy course meant there was a large field of 38 ladies for the qualifying Stableford competition, on Thursday, 11th July.
The field was divided into two divisions to ensure a fair split, to reflect the wide range of handicaps. The Duchy course ‘played tough’ in the fresh breeze, and the majority of the field found it hard to score on the quickening greens. Nine birdies were scored overall, with most coming from the winners, although Min Woodward had a birdie at the notoriously difficult par 4 17th hole and Division 2 player, Mary Hobbs, had a two spot birdie at the par 3 5th.
Building on her good showing in the recent Thomas Cup competition, Julie Toogood won Division Two, with 36 points, two points clear of second placed Heather Woodland, with Sandra Hares taking third place, with 32 points.
32 points was the best score that several Division One players could manage, before the cream really came to the top in the form of Pauline Young, Terri O’Shea and Lena Warren. Pauline had two birdies at par 4 14th and par 3 15th holes in her round, scoring 37 points to take third place. Terri had two birdies at 16th and 18th and six pars, scoring 38 points and earning a handicap cut to 11. The performance of the day came from 12 handicapper, Lena, with an outstanding 43 points. Her round had eight pars and 3 birdies at the par 3 8th and par 5 9th and 18th and earned her a handicap cut to 10.7.
Jane Ball