Golf: Sue Dye takes English seniors title in all-Cheshire final battle

Apr 22 2008 by Richard Williamson, Liverpool Daily Post

SENIORS international Sue Dye claimed her second national title when she beat Barbara Laird 3&2 in an all-Cheshire final of the Senior Women’s English Amateur Championship at Stoneham, Hampshire.

Sue, from Delamere Forest, already holds the English senior strokeplay title and she said of her double: “It’s very special.”

She took a break from golf over the winter, only returning to competition last month and insists her long game is a little rusty. However spectators judged her play to be extremely steady and it was supported by impressive scrambling skills when necessary.

She said: “I just focussed on playing shot by shot, hole by hole. All week I’ve just tried to play each round better than the one before.”

The first half of the final was very finely balanced. Eight of the first nine holes were halved but, crucially, Dye moved ahead by winning the third when her opponent three-putted. As the players approached the turn Laird, the 2007 Cheshire county champion from Sandiway, had a couple of opportunities to win holes but wasn’t able to capitalise on them.

Dye took a firm grip on the match, winning the 11th, 12th and 13th with a sequence of par, birdie, par. She made a rare mistake on the long 14th when she had a birdie putt to win the hole and the match – but went for it too boldly and three-putted.

Laird pulled back another hole when she won the 15th – despite her drive finishing in a horrid spot in the rough.

However, Dye settled matters on the short 16th with a textbook par which secured the title. It’s her latest success in a short but spectacular seniors career which began in 2006 when she was runner-up in the strokeplay championship.

In the first round of the knockout stage of the tournament Dye overcame Chris Stirling (Meon Valley) 2&1 and then pipped Geraldine Bray (Littlestone) 1 up after her opponent went out of bounds on the final hole. She had an equally tense encounter in the semi-finals before edging out Ganton’s Carolyn Kirk, also 1 up.

Laird had a walkover in the first round of the knockout before romping past former winner Christine Watson (Beaconsfield) 5&4 in the next.

Her semi-final was also closely contested, with Laird finally seeing off Janet Collingham (Sherwood Forest), a former British champion, 1 up.

RESULTS

DIVISION ONE SEMI-FINALS: Barbara Laird (Sandiway) beat Janet Collingham (Sherwood Forest) 1up. Sue Dye (Delamere Forest) beat Carolyn Kirk (Ganton) 1 up.

Final: Dye beat Laird 3&2.