DEVON GOLF
WOMEN'S COUNTY CHAMPION 2024 - Lauren McGinnis
Lauren McGinnis of Churston Golf Club is the DevonGolf Women's County Champion 2024. Here's how she got to win the most coveted trophy.
with DevonGolf President Pam St Leger
21 top county players had entered the Championship and played 36 holes on Saturday with the top 8 qualifying for the matchplay places on Sunday, Finals Day. Teignmouth Golf Club were the hosts and the course could not have been in finer condition with the speed of the greens requiring great skill on which to land and putt. Of the top 8, the top 4 went forward to play for the Championship and the next 4 for the Lloyd Williams Salver.
Lauren had finished second over the 36 holes with a 5 over par, 5 behind defending champion Gudrun Thorsteinsdottir (East Devon) who was level over the 2 rounds. Gudrun's level par over the 36 holes meant she won the Women's Gold Medal and Lauren McGinnins the Jose Bruce Bowl as the Gold Medal runner-up. For all Women's Gold Medal results click here
Sunday's semi-finals saw Lauren play Sophie Page (East Devon) and Lauren won through 4&3. Gudrun played young Susie Carr (Teignmouth) in the second semi-final with Gudrun winning 6&5 to set up the afternoon's Championship final with Lauren playing Gudrun.
Both Lauren and Gudrun are well-established members of the DevonGolf Women's Squad and know each other's play well. The smart money would have been on defending champion Gudrun but that would have been without reckoning on Lauren's fine start, taking Gudrun to being 4 down after 9 holes. Gudrun's touch on the putting green seemed to have deserted her but she's made of stern stuff and the real battle began. It was a scrappy half on the par 5 10th from both girls and the par 3 11th saw Gudrun take back a hole to close it to 3 down with a great 2. Slowly Gudrun whittled the deficit to 1 hole and Lauren had to hold her nerve - which she did to clinch the title 2&1. Congratulations Lauren - DevonGolf Women's County Champion 2024. Runner-up Gudrun is the winner of the Coronation Cup.
The morning's semi-final for the Lloyd Williams Salver was played for by Hannah Reynolds (Teignmouth) v Abby Turner (Okehampton) and Abby won through just 1-up. Liz Bird (Royal North Devon) played Emily Morey (East Devon) and Emily took the win after an epic battle that lasted until the 20th hole to break the deadlock.
The afternoon's final for the Lloyd Williams Salver was between Emily Morey and Abby Turner and no-one was predicting who would come out the winner. Both played stunning golf with chips and putts defying the odds and the score see-sawing with neither gaining a real lead until the 15th when Emily finally went 2-up. The short par 3 16th hole, appropriately named 'Hell Hole' because of the large bunker in front and no area on which to bale out, it's hit the green or be prepared for a tricky second shot, saw Emily's ball came up short in the bunker. Abby's ball was taken by the wind and fell back left to roll down the side. Her chip was short, she missed her putt giving Emily 2 putts to secure the trophy after playing a solid shot from the bunker which and she did it in style.
Congratulations, Emily, winner of the Lloyd Williams Salver.
with DevonGolf President Pam St Leger
The U18's Scratch Trophy was won by Susie Carr (Teignmouth) and the Phillis Collett Memorial Bowl for the Best Nett over the 36 Hole Gold Medal competition was won by Sophie Page (East Devon). Gudrun and Sophie also bought home the Women's Club Team Champion's Prize for East Devon Golf Club.
Huge thanks from DevonGolf and all who played over the 3 days to Teignmouth Golf Club members who gave up their course over the best 3 consecutive days weather-wise since last summer. The staff at the club, Gina and Jodie in the kitchen with their 5.30am starts ready for breakfasts for the players and their staff, the greens staff who always have stupid o'clock early starts and gave us a wonderful course worthy of a championship competition, Lorna Elliott the Club Services manager and everyone involved in making the event happen. Volunteers from DevonGolf who gave up many hours of their time to referee, David Smith and Peter Holt for the 3 days and Lesley Pascoe on Finals day deserve much praise. President Pam St Leger and Wendy Stanbury were on hand throughout to assist Paul Cloke, DevonGolf's Operations Manager, who is the real brains behind such superb organisation.
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
