Well, what a nail-biter that turned out to be! In a twist that would make even Agatha Christie proud, North Hants Golf Club nabbed the 2024 Womenโs Champion Club title right from under Shifnalโs nose after an electrifying final round at Hessle Golf Club.
If ever there was a case of “it ainโt over โtil itโs over,” this was it. Both clubs locked horns, finishing dead even with a team total of +18, but it was North Hants that had the final say.
The tie-breaker? A little matter of aggregate scores that turned a close call into high drama on the greens.
Shifnal (Shropshire) must have thought they had one hand on the silverware after Alexandra Ling shot the lights out with a final-day performance for the ages.
With two eagles in her level-par round and Fern Clark chipping in an 83, Shifnalโs total stood firm at +18. Lingโs play was like a masterclass in clutch golfโsmooth, decisive, and just plain gutsy.
You could almost sense the celebration beginning for Shifnal, but North Hants had other plans.
Aimee Paterson, playing like a woman possessed, shot a 78 (+5), while Georgina Carter put up a gritty 79 (+6).
That levelled the playing field and had the leaderboard sweating bullets. Then it all came down to the third playerโs score.
It was here that Lily Walkerโs 83 for North Hants outshined Ann Petersโ 92 for Shifnal, sealing the victory.
So, by a whiskerโor maybe just a really tiny divotโNorth Hants walked away with the title. Howโs that for a Sunday finish?
The spoils of this razor-thin victory mean that North Hants will now carry the English flag to the European Ladies’ Club Trophy at Golf Club Welten in Slovakia from October 3-5.
Aimee Paterson, still reeling from the win, summed up the rollercoaster of emotions: โWeโre all in a lot of shock at the moment so we canโt really speak, we canโt really believe it!
Weโve been playing a lot of golf, with seven rounds in four days last week in Liverpool, so weโve had a chance to acclimatise to the north.โ
Spoken like a golfer who knows both the joy of winning and the struggle of pulling soggy socks out of a golf bag.
Meanwhile, Georgina Carter had her own tales of near-misses: โI almost had a hole-in-one today on the 2nd where I stuck it to just a few inches.
I had about three eagle opportunities too, but the greens were so difficult. None of us were prepared for the rain today, it caught us completely off guard.
We were running to the cars after the 9th to grab our umbrellas!โ It seems like the weather gods decided to throw a little extra chaos into the mix. Nothing like a good dash in the rain to spice things up!
North Hants Ladies Captain Frances Crummay could barely contain her excitement over their clutch victory: โItโs absolutely fantastic to win, itโs a great reflection of the ladiesโ game that we have at North Hants.โ And sheโs rightโwhat a phenomenal showcase of grit and determination!
And it wasnโt just the top two clubs keeping us on the edge of our seats. Willesley Park (Leicestershire) came into the final round tied for the lead, thanks in part to Joanne Morris-Bourneโs seventh career hole-in-oneโyes, you read that right, her seventh.
But they couldnโt maintain the pace, finishing seven shots off the top in a tie for third with Hindhead (Surrey).
Not far behind, West Lancashire, Huddersfield (Yorkshire), and Sundridge Park (Kent) rounded out the top spots in a three-way tie for fifth, proving that the competition was tighter than a Scotsman on payday.
So, there you have it. The 2024 Womenโs Champion Club may have been decided by the barest of margins, but thatโs what makes this game so exhilarating, unpredictable, and utterly maddening.
Now, all eyes turn to Slovakia, where North Hants will look to take their game to a continental level.
Whatever happens next, one thingโs for sure: golf might be a good walk spoiled, but it sure makes for a heck of a story!
