Suffolk Ladies Golf

COUNTY WEEK AT STOCK BROOK MANOR GOLF CLUB, ESSEX

Reports by Julie Latimer-Jones

DAY 5 - 26th June 2009- Suffolk v Essex at Stock Brook Manor Golf Club.

At the end of a long week, Suffolk took on Essex, one of the two strongest counties embroiled in the inter-county matches at Stock Brook Manor. They managed to take two of the nine points on offer although, once again, several of the matches were close and much of the shortfall lay in the shots to the pin and the activity on the greens.

Sharon Luckman and Amanda Norman marched imperiously to the winning point with a 6/5 victory over Danielle Anderson and Kelly Martin in the morning foursomes.

Essex posted the other two foursomes’ points on their side of the board. Heidi Baek and Liz Laflin had a close encounter with Daisy Over and Sam Lovell, while the new pairing of Charlie Damonsing and Blaize Esmond found Laura Cutler and Emma Cutmore to be just too strong.

Heidi Baek continued her unbeaten run in the singles. What a week she has had! She took on and out-played the best that the other five counties could offer; four champions and the English Champion could not match Heidi’s skill and determination on the day. Essex fielded Lizzie Taylor whom Heidi took to the cleaners with a 5/4 victory that set the seal on her County Week. Taylor started off in nervy manner, double bogeying the first and unable to counter Heidi’s par four at the second. Baek lost three but regained her position when Taylor’s putt lipped out on four. Three up after six, Baek kept up the pressure, went to the fourteenth tee five up and closed out the match on the green.

Sharon Luckman played her usual stalwart part in the golfing week. No-one has put more effort into Suffolk’s golf, or can have a better record, particularly over recent years when she has often been the only survivor on days when the rest have struggled. After fifteen years, she has decided to take a break from County Golf and, if she doesn’t change her mind, she will leave a gap in the team that will be hard to fill. On this, the final day, she met Jenny Pease, one of the best known of the Essex golfers. With no quarter asked or given, Pease managed to secure the point on the seventeenth green.

Liz Laflin, happily still getting back to peak golf fitness after a traffic accident which kept her out of the game until quite recently, met Daisy Over, runner-up in the recent East Region Championship. Laflin, who can always be relied upon to give the game her best shot, found Over in the sort of form that brooked no opposition. .

The other three singles featured the newcomers to the team, two of them teenagers, and it was great to see them step up. All of them performed in a calm and controlled manner, looking quite at home in the company in which they found themselves.

Blaize Esmond went two down early on against the cheery Danielle Anderson. She got back to one but her opponent proved to be too strong around the greens. To her credit, though, Esmond kept cool and maintained her rhythm, notching up some great experience for the future.

The same could be said of Sarah Howe, whose demeanour never alters so that the onlooker has no idea whether the situation is win, lose, or draw. Sarah took Kelly Martin to the sixteenth before conceding defeat.

Charlie Damonsing, playing at number six, looked very comfortable. She also went to the sixteenth against Sam Lovell, unbeaten all week and playing on her home course.

In the end, Hertfordshire won all their five matches and they move through to the County Finals with Essex as the runners up. Norfolk came third and Suffolk shared fourth spot with Cambs & Hunts. Bedfordshire collected the wooden spoon.

Perhaps this was not the result Suffolk hoped for, but the comparatively new regime of playing five days in a row throws something of a curved ball to the counties with the smaller golfing populations and it will take time to settle into a routine likely to bring success against those who have a bigger pool of players to choose from.

Results: (Suffolk names first)

Foursomes: Heidi Baek & Liz Laflin lost to Daisy Over & Sam Lovell 2/1; Charlie Damonsing & Blaize Esmond lost to Laura Cutler & Emma Cutmore 5/3; Sharon Luckman & Amanda Norman bt Danielle Anderson & Kelly Martin 6/5.
Singles: Baek bt Lizzie Taylor 5/4; Laflin lost to Over 8/6; Luckman lost to Jenny Pease 2/1; Esmond lost to Anderson 4/3; Sarah How lost to Martin 3/2; Damonsing lost to Lovell 3/2;

Final Result: Suffolk 2, Essex 7

DAY 4 - 25th June 2009 – Suffolk v Norfolk

In the first of the foursomes matches, Liz Laflin and Helen Bray found Rebecca Heeles, teamed with Tracey Williamson, in devastating form with the putter. The second match, between Vicki Inglis playing with Lils James and Amy Skoulding with Edwina Lowry-Gold, could have gone either way, finishing as it did on the eighteenth green with only one hole separating the two pairs. Sharon Luckman playing with teenager, Blaize Esmond, lost to Karen Young and the powerful thirteen-year-old Amber Ratcliffe.

Losing all three foursomes matches in the morning of a thirty-six hole match of necessity makes for a severely uphill struggle after lunch requiring, as it does, five wins from the six singles.

In the event, Suffolk garnered only two full points. Heidi Baek beat Sam Martin by 3/2, keeping a clean sheet on the week so far and Amanda Norman, who gave Amy Skoulding no quarter, polished off the match with an impressive 7/6 victory. According to the onlookers, Norman played ‘fabulous’ golf, a repeat performance of her form at the recent East Region Championship where she took the title in fine style.

Playing at number six, Vicki Inglis took on Karen Young in a close and hard-fought duel. Vicki stood on the eighteenth tee one down. She hit ‘a cracking drive’, to quote one of her team-mates. Karen found sand with her second but hit a fine bunker shot to twenty feet. She putted up and eventually holed out in five. Inglis, whose second had come to rest in rough but only about eight feet from the pin, chipped up delicately to eighteen inches for a concession. Match all square and honours even.

The other three singles went Norfolk’s way and the final score gave them a helping hand towards their third place overall in the week’s results.

Results (Suffolk names first)
Foursomes: Liz Laflin & Helen Bray lost to Tracey Williamson & Rebecca Heeles 5/4; Vicki Inglis & Lils James lost to Amy Skoulding & Edwina Lowry-Gold 1 down; Sharon Luckman & Blaize Esmond lost Karen Young & Amber Ratcliffe 4/3.
Singles: Heidi Baek bt Sam Martin 3/2; Norman bt Skoulding 7/6; Laflin lost to Williamson 4/2; James lost to Ratcliffe 2/1; Luckman lost to Heeles 3/2; Inglis halved with Young.

Final Result: Suffolk 2 ½ Norfolk 6 ½ on the fourth day of County Week, a disappointing result for the Suffolk, who had hoped for a better outcome

Day 3 - 24th June 2009 - Suffolk v Hertfordshire

Suffolk lost to Hertfordshire by six matches to three on the third day of County Week being played over the rolling fairways of Stock Brook Manor Golf Club.   If the scoreline of six matches to three sounds less than satisfactory in terms of winning and losing, it was in fact a sterling performance given that, on the two previous days, Herts had left their opponents even further in arrears.   Suffolk had the added handicap of a forfeited match when Liz Laflin hit two shots down the first fairway and had to withdraw with a neck injury.    She left the course hoping that treatment will enable her to play on Day 4.
Having failed to win any points from the morning foursomes, the story of the day from Suffolk’s point of view lay in the afternoon singles matches and the headline of the day belonged to Heidi Baek.   In the absence of the Herts’ champion, she took on and beat Charlie Douglass, the English Women’s Champion.    Heidi played a sterling game of golf.   Focused and accurate, she ignored the fact that her opponent appeared to lose her cool and calmly carried on with her own game, running out the winner on the seventeenth green after a pretty flawless display of golf and how best to play it.
Sharon Luckman, too, presented a calm and self-contained front.    Beginning steadily she climbed to three up after eleven holes, lost the twelfth but struck back immediately with a birdie at the thirteenth, a 126-yard short hole with one of the trickiest greens on the course.    In the end she beat Harriet Key by 3/2.
Suffolk’s other point came from Vicki Inglis.    One might be forgiven for heaving a sigh, or shuddering a bit, on discovering that Vicki had dropped her golf bag on her bare toes in the morning and needed first aid treatment.     The injury did not, however, seem to affect her golf to any great degree, or her frame of mind either.    After eleven holes she was one up against Lucy Glyn and smiling brightly.    On thirteen she benefited from Lucy’s visit to a nearby water hazard, neatly slotting her five foot putt for a par to go two holes to the good.    Lucy hit back but when things went a bit pear-shaped for her at the seventeen, Vicki’s solid par sent her up the 433-yard eighteenth with a one hole advantage.    Once more Lucy found trouble in the sand. Vicki made a solid birdie to close out the match.
Of the other two singles, Amanda Norman struggled on the greens where she felt she lost a feel for the pace and Lils James met Lucy Williams in fine form and ran out of options on fourteen.
Day 4 finds Suffolk facing Norfolk and hoping to put another win on the board.    In this format, with six counties in the mix, it is vital that all the players have a rest at some point.    Last year the strongest six players played all five matches.    From an onlooker’s viewpoint, that is just too much to ask or expect and there were some very weary golfers out there on the last two days.    Captain Mary Wilderspin has done her best to make sure that everyone has had a little down time.    It will be interesting to see how things work out against Norfolk tomorrow and Essex on Friday.

Results (Suffolk names first)
Foursomes: Liz Laflin & Heidi Baek lost to Hannah Burke & Charlie Douglass 5/3; Amanda Norman & Charlie Damonsing lost to Lucy Williams & Charlie Field 3/2; Lils James & Vicki Inglis lost to Tina Jeary & Lucinda Mileham 4/2.
Singles: Baek bt Douglass 2/1; Laflin retired through injury - Burke w/o; Luckman bt Harriet Key 3/2; Norman lost to Mileham 2/1; Inglis bt Lucy Glyn 2 up; James lost to Williams 6/4
Final result: Suffolk 3, Hertfordshire 6.

Day 2 -23rd June -Suffolk v Cambs & Hunts .

Suffolk carried on the good work of Day 1 when they halved the match with Cambs & Hunts on the second day of County Week 2009.
A better result in the morning foursomes was encouraging as Amanda Norman and Sharon Luckman reverted to their usual modus operandi, taking the point, albeit narrowly, from Caroline Agnew and Jackie Gregg.   Behind them, Vicki Inglis and Lils James also scored against Jenny McGuigan and Miranda Brain.     Helen Bray and Blaize Esmond, making her first appearance for Suffolk, played with plenty of determination.    They halved the third in birdie, unfortunately missed the next birdie putt at four and went rapidly downhill to four down.    However, they fought back to find themselves only one down at 16 but could only manage a half on the final two holes, leaving their opponents with the edge.
The day was hot, sunny and still, though the wind began to rise later on.   Heidi Baek, out first in the singles as befits her Champion’s status, raced into a three hole lead against Sarah Smith, the talented Cambs & Hunts champion.   Pressing on steadily, Heidi ran out the winner on sixteen.   Amanda Norman, playing at number two against Amy Rae, was two over par for the sixteen holes she needed to add the next point to the board.
Liz Laflin’s opponent, the redoubtable Jackie Gregg, had her putting boots on and slotted several long ones, about which nothing could be done.     At number four, Sharon Luckman was facing the young Miranda Brain, whose golf was in particularly good order.   Luckman went three down at thirteen which left insufficient holes for her to make a comeback.
Helen Bray put her first day’s experience to good use against Jenny McGuigan.   Although she went two down fairly smartly, she climbed back to square the match at twelve, but found Jenny McGuigan just too strong for her in the end.
Lils James, playing Tail-end Charlie, kept her head throughout a fluctuating game against Caroline Agnew, one of Cambs & Hunts’ best strikers.    James went one up at twelve.   Agnew visited a lateral water hazard on thirteen but played a great recovery to the pin.    She made four while James, on the green with her tee shot, was unable to two putt over the tricky, undulating surface.    The resulting half kept James at one up and that was where the score remained until they reached eighteen.    There Agnew secured a birdie four which James couldn’t match and both players settled for sharing the available point.
As the week progresses, it seems that Hertfordshire is the team to beat.    On day three, Suffolk take them on with nothing to lose and all to play for.

Results (Suffolk names first)
Foursomes: Amanda Norman & Sharon Luckman bt Caroline Agknew & Jackie Gregg; Vicki Inglis & Lils James bt Jenny McGuigan & Miranda Brain; Helen Bray & Blaize Esmond lost to Chelsey Herbert & Amy Rae 1 down;
Singles: Baek bt Sarah Smith 4/2; Norman bt Rae 3/2; Liz Laflin lost to Gregg 4/3; Luckman lost to Brain 4/2; Bray lost to McGuigan 2 down; James half with Agnew.
Final Result: Suffolk 4 ½ Cambs & Hunts 4 ½

DAY 1 - 22nd June 2009– Suffolk v Bedfordshire. By Julie Latimer-Jones

Suffolk began well in the five-day marathon that is County Week 2009.   They beat Bedfordshire by five matches to four, putting a point on the board that will count towards the final result at the end of the week.
Stock Brook Manor golf course is, as one might guess from its name, built on parkland.    The course is in good condition, with tricky undulating greens that are on the slow side which tends to add to their level of difficulty. A watery grave awaits the unwary here and there.
Bedfordshire had the better of the morning foursomes, winning two of the three matches.   Only Heidi Baek and Liz Laflin managed to secure a point for Suffolk against Bedfordshire’s champion, Sally Shayler and a past champion, Bridie Quinn.   Baek and Laflin made a great start, winning three of the first four holes.   Despite the determination with which Shayler and Quinn went after them, they kept their noses in front to finish two up on eighteen.
Vicki Inglis and Lils James enjoyed a close and fluctuating match against Lizi Sweetman and Kate Wright but couldn’t quite secure a lead before running out of holes.   Similarly Amanda Norman and Sharon Luckman went all the way to the eighteenth to lose by the narrowest margin, suffering the frustration of putts that wouldn’t drop.
Suffolk had it all to do in the singles, needing four points from the six on offer.   Out at the head of the team, Heidi Baek scurried to a three hole lead against Sally Shayler but found herself all square after nine.    Despite the fact that she struggled on the greens, she dyked a birdie putt on seventeen to close out the match and win her first point as the county’s new champion.    Amanda Norman, playing against Lizi Sweetman also raced to three up, but she, too, turned all square.    It was nip and tuck from the tenth, but Norman stood on the eighteenth tee one up and managed a half to nick the point.
Liz Laflin went out against Elaine Bruce in a repeat of their singles match a year ago.   Laflin made birdie at ten and generally played well in her usual determined fashion.    Afterwards she said ‘it was a nice game and she beat me last year, so I got my revenge this time!’
Sharon Luckman added to the strong start made by the Suffolk team and scored the point which gave the county its overall victory.   Three birdies in the first five holes and a wonderful display of chipping and putting, where she soon had the measure of the green speed, contributed to a comfortable win by 4/3 over Bedfordshire’s Kate Wright.
Vicki Inglis and Helen Bray found the going tough.    Inglis met Laura Collin, a former county champion who has been playing particularly well on the amateur circuit in recent weeks.   She gave no quarter.    Bray, in her first match for Suffolk and up against the well-established Bridie Quinn, sportingly admitted that, enjoying a learning experience, she was outplayed.
All in all then, a good day out and Captain Mary Wilderspin must have been well pleased and happy to look ahead to Tuesday’s match against Cambs & Hunts.   She will hope that her team can improve their fortunes in the foursomes to take the pressure off the singles.

Results (Suffolk names first)
Foursomes: Heidi Baek & Liz Laflin bt Sally Shayler & Bridie Quiin 2 up; Vicki Inglis & Lil James lost to Lizi Sweetman & Kate Wright 1 down; Amanda Norman & Sharon Luckman lost to Laura Collin & Elaine Bruce 1 down.

Singles: Baek bt Shaler 2/1; Norman bt Sweetman 1 up; Inglis lost to Collin 6/5; Laflin bt Bruce 3/2; Luckman bt Wright 4/3; Helen Bray lost to Quinn 7/5.

Suffolk 5, Bedfordshire 4.