LEA-ANNE SECURES TOUR CARD

THIS year is set to be a hugely exciting year for one of Wales’s best up-and-coming female golfers after securing a place on the Ladies European Tour.

Abergele’s Lea-Anne Bramwell secured a place on the LET by holing a 20 foot putt on the last hole of qualifying in Spain.

Bramwell had come up through the Wales Golf High Performance Programme and represented Wales,building the support networks to prepare her for the leap into the professional ranks.

The 22-year-old is a former Welsh Amateur champion and is looking to build on her time as an amateur to push for the highest level. “I won the Welsh Amateur and no-one can take that away from me, but personally I do not think I had a very good amateur career,” she said.

“I see there are a lot of really, really good amateurs who do not make it as a pro because it is different getting used to tour life, the travelling from country to country.Playing on the LET Access Series last year opened my eyes to everything.

“It was my first year going to QSchool so I had no expectations, which is the best way of approaching it for me.

“I had played on the LET Access Series all year, making every cut and picking up some top 10’s, so I knew I had playing rights there for next year and thought I could carry on developing.

“Learning how to cope with the travel and gain experience on the Access Tour, that was the plan I made along with my coach Paul Williams, who is also Wales Golf national female coach.

“I got through the to the third stage and was five over for my first round, 139th out of 150 competitors. I was trying to just go out there and have some fun because anything would be a bonus.

“Then I was five under for my second round, and played solidly in my last two rounds. I had some great help from Paul which helped me take it shot by shot.

“There were scoreboards round the green on the last hole, I could see what score I was on and what I needed.

“I had a long,difficult bunker shot and then I had a 20ft,downhill putt with two to three feet of borrow to get my card.

“After that went in, I was practically crying coming off the green, overwhelmed with the whole situation.”

That putt could be life changing for Bramwell with this year set to be the most lucrative in LET history.

Bramwell started her campaign in early February with events in Kenya and Morocco. She missed both cuts but is gaining experience fast and has plenty more opportunities throughout 2023 as she joins fellow North Walians Becky Brewerton, Chloe Williams and Amy Boulden on Europe’s top tier of golf.

FORMER Padeswood & Buckley, Aldersey Green and North West National PGA teaching professional Stuart Hurstfield is celebrating 10 years in his role as head coach at Rolling Hills in Saudi Arabia.

The Wrexham-born 49-year-old started playing at the age of 10 when his dad took him to Padeswood & Buckley to caddy. He progressed quickly and was soon part of the county and North Wales squads. He gained PGA status 25 years ago and has enjoyed teaching the game ever since.

Hurstfield said: “I’ve loved all my roles, but life in Saudi is fabulous.

“I work a split shift that normally involves coaching in the mornings, having the afternoons to myself and back to work in the evening until about 9pm.

“There are 82 different nationalities living within my complex so you meet so many different people.”

Stuart Hurstfield.