NGL Ladies Vets 3rd Team match v Leicester & Rutland

Lingdale GC 8th June 2017

The third team match against Leicester and Rutland at Lingdale G.C. saw the teams starting out in cloudy but warm weather but as the day went on the weather changed and the showers and wind affected the players at the end of the field. The first pairing of Janet Gower (Wellingborough) and Gina Evans (Overstone) started well with the Northamptonshire pair being one up by the 5th hole and then losing two holes to need a win on the 9th to make the match all square. The back nine played easier than the front and by the 15th hole Janet and Gina were 2 up and with a missed putt on the 16th giving the Leicestershire pair a halved hole, the match went to the 17th where Janet used her shot to halve the hole making a win for Northamptonshire 2 and 1.

Norma Blake and Margaret Worthington both from Northampton Golf Club found the course greatly to their liking and managed to secure a win by 5 and 4. The next pairing of Nollaig Donegan (Overstone) and Katie Aston (Delapre)

playing in her first match were again winners by 6 and 4 however, Angela Crawley (Kingsthorpe) and Linda Johnson (Daventry) found the conditions difficult as the wind and the rain affected the ball and they were against a home player and lost 6 and 4.

Shirley Swan (Kingsthorpe) and Wendy Francis (Staverton) had to give several shots to their opponents and with the weather changing they put up a good fight and came to the 17th 1 down only to lose 2 and 1.Dawn Mallard-Parker (Northants County) and Lin Birch ( KIngsthorpe) played well together and although again giving shots to the opposition managed to finish the game on the 14th winning 5 and 4. Our penultimate pairing of Paula Simpson and Larraine Betts both from Overstone Park played in the worst of the weather and unfortunately lost 5 and 4 against a very steady pair of ladies.

The match now came down to the last team of Barbara Hignett (Whittlebury) and Liz Palmer (Wellingborough) and although they struggled in the weather conditions they took the match to the 15th hole and lost 4 and 3. The whole match ended in a draw and as usual all matches were  played in a competitive and friendly manner.