Ladies Matchplay Championship 22

LADIES MATCHPLAY

championship

5 - 6 July 2022 Saunton Golf Club

The 12th Army Ladies Matchplay Championship took place on 5 and 6 Jul 22 on the East Course in some good weather conditions. The wind by the afternoon rounds would keep all players’ minds concentrated with the flags flapping hard in the wind.

Despite the difficult conditions, we saw a field of 11 players take to the tee, with 5 byes.

LCpl Nikki Sutton AGC (SPS) was poised to defend her title but with Cpl Kirsty Kennedy RE retuning after a couple of years out all was set for an enthralling couple of days.

There were two seeds based on lowest handicap; Sutton (1) and Kennedy (2), no pressure on being seeded so high on her return.

Ham AGC (SPS) 2&1, Maj Karen Fidell AMS beat Maj Lizzy Stileman RLC MBE 3&2 and finally Maj Gina Smith REME win 4&3 over WO1 Vicky van Zyl AMS. The quarter-final matches saw Sutton beat Stringer 5&4, the latter playing in her first Army event, her time will come in future years surely, after all the practice she has had in light blue (ex RAF)! Kennedy beat Fidell 7&5, which brought Fidell’s Army Championship days as a player to a conclusion. We look forward to seeing her in the future as an AGA Official. Smith and Lambert needed the 19th to separate them after a very close-run match.

So, with only three rounds being played on day one morning, notable results saw, Musn Justine Stringer CAMUS beat WO2 Claire

The Plate competition for the Bowles Trophy; Ham versus van Zyl V. Stileman received a bye through to the final. With an early start, and faced with an increase in the wind, Ham and van Zyl V took to the field. The match was a close-run affair with both players playing steady golf that required a 19th hole to decide the winner, on this occasion it was van Zyl V who took the spoils to set up the final against Stileman. Despite a superb showing in her first Army Championship, this was a match too far for van Zyl V and she narrowly lost 2Up to Stileman. Maj Lizzy Stileman MBE RLC is the 2022 Bowles Trophy winner.

SAUNTON BOWL WINNER Musn Justine Stringer CAMUS

BOWLES TROPHY WINNER Maj Lizzy Stileman MBE RLC

With only 11 golfers playing in the first round there were an additional three players over the two seeded players to receive a bye, SSgt Mel van Zyl AMS, Maj Sue Lambert AGC (ETS) and SSgt Zoe Burrell-Knipe RLC. Unfortunately, Burrell-Knipe contracted COVID and had to withdraw and return home before striking a ball. This meant that van Zyl M received a walkover to the semifinal without hitting a ball.

So back to the semi-finals of the main Championship. The draw was set for van Zyl M to play Sutton and Kennedy to play Smith.

As had been the case in all her matches, Sutton eased into the final with another comfortable 5&3 win. The second match was extremely close between two very evenly matched players that required a further 5-holes for it to be decided. Once again Smith, who likes to play EVERY hole at least once in EVERY round, ran out the eventual winner on the 23rd hole. So the final would see Sutton face Smith.

WO1 Vicky van Zyl AMS experience of Smith. Sutton set off at a breathtaking pace, taking an early lead that she was never going to lose. Playing some excellent golf with levels of accuracy and consistency that just could not be matched, Sutton lodged her second Matchplay victory with a winning score of 7&6. We should note that Smith played all rounds enroute to the final and went to the 23rd hole in the semifinal leaving only a 20 minute turnaround before teeing off for the final. LCpl Niki Sutton AGC (SPS) is the 2022 Meechie Trophy winner.

Congratulations go to all players for not only the standard of play but also the level of sportsmanship displayed throughout. Big thanks to David Thomas for taking some stunning photos of the final. All photos are available here.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Maj Gina Smith REME With a good breeze and in bright sunshine the final was set to be an enthralling mixture of young talent in Sutton versus the

WO2 Claire Ham AGC (SPS)

SSgt Mel van Zyl AMS

LADIES MATCHPLAY CHAMPION LCpl Niki Sutton AGC (SPS)

KEY RESULTS Army Ladies Champion

LCpl Niki Sutton AGC (SPS)

Runner-Up

Maj Gina Smith REME

Bowles Trophy Winner

Maj Lizzy Stileman MBE RLC

Saunton Bowl Winner

Musn Justine Stringer CAMUS

Most Improved Ladies Player

Maj Gina Smith REME