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Holly Aitchison and Florentyna Parker lead English Women’s Strokeplay championship

Posted by Big G under Ladies Amateur Golf, Latest Golf News

Bedfordshire’s Holly Aitchison defied injury to score a three-under par 69 and share the first round lead in the English women’s strokeplay championship at The Berkshire.

She’s tied with Curtis Cup player Florentyna Parker of Lancashire (pictured above) who posted her score after 7pm at the end of a day of glorious weather and many compliments for the Blue course.   

They are one shot clear of the defending champion, Curtis Cup player Jodi Ewart of Yorkshire, English champion Hannah Barwood of Gloucestershire  and 16-year-old Kent girls’ champion Sian Evans.

Among those a further stroke back, on one-under par, is another Curtis Cup player, Liz Bennett of Hampshire, and the 2007 English champion Naomi Edwards of Yorkshire.

Other major contenders include Yorkshire’s Emma Brown – nee Duggleby – who recently won the Astor Salver at The Berkshire and Staffordshire’s Rachel Jennings, the French lady junior champion. Both returned scores of 74.   

Holly Aitchison, from the Bedfordshire, has been troubled with a hip injury all season. When it’s at its worst she struggles to walk and, at any time, it hurts when she coughs, sneezes or laughs.  

“I’m very pleased with 69 after thinking I might not be able to play – it’s all the sweeter because of that,” said Holly, who was the 2007 Portuguese champion. She had five birdies in her round, including one on the 16th and another on the 18th.  

Jodi Ewart, from Catterick, also carded five birdies and described her first round outing as “a good day.”

She went on: “I’m pretty happy with my game overall and hopefully more putts will drop tomorrow.”

Jodi, who has just completed her second year at the University of New Mexico in the USA, demonstrated good strokeplay form in the recent European team championship in Sweden, where she was nine-under par for the two qualifying rounds.

Sian Evans, from the English Women’s Golf Association Select South East Squad, is also enjoying a good season. As well as winning her county girls’ title she’s also captured the Kent schools’ championship and last weekend, in a competition at her club, Faversham, she was five-under par.

But she rates her two-under 70 in this event as her best-ever round, based on the quality of the field and the challenge of the course. It included seven birdies and she was delighted with her putting. “I holed a 30-footer on the 17th, a couple a bit closer than that, and several from around 6ft.”

Another youngster, 13-year-old Lauren Taylor from Rugby, also put in an impressive performance when she returned a one over par 73.
 
After tomorrow’s second round the field of 120 players will be cut to the leading 36 and ties who will play the final two rounds on Thursday.

Leading scores:
69 Holly Aitchison (Bedfordshire), Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale)
70 Sian Evans (Faversham), Jodi Ewart (Catterick), Hannah Barwood (Knowle).
71 Naomi Edwards (Ganton), Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), Tracey Boyes (Meon Valley)
72 Olivia Jordan-Higgins (Royal Jersey), Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton), Hannah Burke (Mid-Herts).  
73 Lauren Taylor (Rugby), Georgina Dunn (Peterborough Milton), Ellie Givens (Blackwell Grange) Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog).