Welcome to the
PING tournament 2010
The PING information pack with details of the 2010 tournament will be sent out from the EWGA office at the end of January. If you haven't received your pack by the middle of February please contact the Championship Department / Lindsey Bishop on 0121 456 2088 and we will send you another one in the post.
View the Ping Championship Grand Final Scoreboard 08/09/09
View the Ping Championship Plate Final Scoreboard 08/09/09
View the latest Ping Championship Leaderboard FINAL UPDATE 26-06-09
View the latest Plate Final Leaderboard FINAL UPDATE 26-06-09
These are Adobe pdf files - you may need Acrobat reader to view them.
08 September 2009 - Gloucestershire pair win PING Tournament Grand Final
Gloucestershire golfers Sue Elliott and Rachael Thomas breezed round the Thonock Park course at Gainsborough in one-over par 73 to win the Grand Final of the 2009 PING Fourball Betterball Tournament of England.
The pair, from Henbury Golf Club, amassed 43 stableford points in strong winds and finished two clear of the field. “We are ecstatic,” said Rachael.
Sue added: “It’s brilliant, absolutely excellent – this is a great event for ladies’ golf and so well organised.”
They win a choice of PING clubs or PING Collection clothing to the value of £400. They also qualify for the UK final of the Volvo Masters Amateur Tour at Kingsbarns, Scotland, in October.
The runners-up were Cheryl Power and Priya Bhatia of Kent, who came in late in the day and pipped, on countback, the long-time leaders Fiona Hockin and Jayne O’Sullivan of Yorkshire.
The PING Tournament – which is run by the English Women’s Golf Association – had a new format this year and attracted over 16,000 competitors. The best 60 club winners qualified for today’s Grand Final, while the next 72 pairs went through to the new Plate Final, which took place yesterday.
Sue and Rachael won their club round – their first outing in a fourball event – with 43 points. They returned the same score in the Grand Final when they tamed the extremely windy conditions with solid golf. Between them, they parred 15 holes, bogeyed two and birdied the long 17th.
“We work well as a team – we’ve known each other for about 20 years and we are best mates,” said Sue, who was a professional on the Ladies European Tour for two decades.
Injury brought her career to an end and last year she regained her amateur status and a four handicap. Rachael, who sometimes caddied for her friend, is a 10-handicapper who is determined to get down to single figures - and is taught by Sue’s partner, Henbury teaching professional Ryan Crowley.
The final was contested by pairs from all over the country and of all ages - the youngest partnership was 14-year-old Emily Powell and Amy Ridley, 18, of Seascale, Cumbria. One competitor, Mandy Roberts of Overstone Park, Northamptonshire, was so keen to take part that she played on her own after her partner was forced to drop out – and returned a very creditable score.
All Grand Finalists received a PING golf bag, a PING Collection windshirt and a pair of ECCO shoes. They also had the opportunity to tour the PING factory, to try clubs in the PING fitting centre and to enter other competitions. Overall winner Sue Elliott was also successful in the putting competition and won a putter, while Jane Leigh from Humberstone Heights, Leicestershire, won the nearest the pin challenge and received a PING driver.
Leading scores
43 pts Sue Elliott & Rachael Thomas (Henbury)
41 Cheryl Power & Priya Bhatia (Langley Park); Fiona Hockin & Jayne O’Sullivan (Horsforth)
40 Carol Firth & Sally Dixon (Bingley St Ives), Linda Woods & Sharon Baxter (Royal Epping Forest); Helen Lowe & Debs Massey (Scraptoft)
39 Michele Moran & Pat Waldron (Hickleton)
38 Alison Baldwick & Amanda Leach (East Berkshire); Jane Leigh & Wendy Castle (Humberstone Heights); Shelagh Warren &Sue Hitchman (Stoke Rochford); Lesley Pascoe & Hilary Richards (Stover); Claire Fensome & Alisa Moore (Collingtree Park); Adele Haddon & Diane Burridge (College Pines).
08 September 2009 - Cambridgeshire golfers win PING Tournament Plate final
Cambridgeshire golfers Lilias Adamson and Sue Pearson are the first winners of the new Plate Final of the 2009 PING Women’s Fourball Betterball Tournament of England.
The pair, from Ely City, set an early target of 43 points over the Thonock Park course at PING’s Gainsborough Golf Club – and it was never beaten.
They win a choice of PING clubs or PING Collection clothing to the value of £400. They also qualify for the UK final of the Volvo Masters Amateur Tour at Kingsbarns, Scotland, in October.
“This is unbelievable, “ said Lilias. “We just came for a nice day out. We’ve had a wonderful day and to win is the icing on the cake.”
Their closest challengers on a warm, sunny day were two pairs who each scored 41 points. The runners-up, on countback, were Worcestershire’s Lynn Wilson and Naomi Austin, 18, who pipped county colleagues Holli Ward, 17, and Emily Hyde, 14, by virtue of their better back nine.
The PING Tournament – which is run by the English Women’s Golf Association – has a new format this year. The best 60 club winners qualified for the Grand Final, which takes place tomorrow, while the next 72 pairs went through to today’s new Plate Final.
It was a change which met with approval from the winners. “I think it’s great,” said Lilias. She and Sue won their club qualifier with 42 points – just before Lilias injured her back and had to give golf a miss for three months.
“I think the club qualifier was my last full round before I hurt my back – and this is my first full round since I started playing again. I’ve just done a few nine holes on the par three course, with the grandchildren.”
There were no signs of rustiness, however. The two golfers cogged together extremely well on a course neither had seen before. “It’s a very nice course and the fairways are wide, compared with ours, which takes the pressure off,” said Sue.
Last week, both players were fitted for new PING clubs. “Now we’re really eager to get hold of them,” said Lilias.
Scoring in the Plate Final was good all day. The first pair out, Chris Williamson and Natalie Crute of Hartlepool, set an impressive target with 40 points. This was soon matched by Elizabeth Crow and Anne Wright from Northamptonshire – and then passed by the eventual winners and the two other prizewinners.
Among the players were Hampshire’s Jenny Readman who was one of the winners of last year’s Grand Final. This year she was partnered by England senior international Chris Stirling and the pair managed a very creditable 39 points. “It was lovely to have the chance to come back,” said Jenny. “And I love my PING clubs. I’ve cut three shots off my handicap, to nine, since I got them after last year’s competition.”
The day included the opportunity for competitors to tour the PING factory, to take advantage of the service at PING’s fitting centre and to enter other competitions. Linda Shapley of Chartham Park, Sussex, won a putter while Julia Gibson of Wirral Ladies, Cheshire, won the nearest the pin competition for a PING driver.
Leading final scores
43 pts Lilias Adamson and Sue Pearson (Ely City)
41 Naomi Austin and Lyn Wilson (North Worcestershire); Emily Hyde and Holli Ward (Bewdley Pines).
40 Elizabeth Crow and Anne Wright (Delapre Park); Chris Williamson and Natalie Crute (Hartlepool).
39 Chris Hall and Julie Tsang (Harborne); Sandy Kinch and Gill O’Donnell (Easthamstead Ladies); Gillian Nutter and Dee Kay (Formby Ladies’); Julie Daniels and Wendy Bushell (Hennerton); Chris Stirling and Jenny Readman (Meon Valley).
In association with EWGA