Golf: Sue Dye chasing third national title in seniors ranks

Jun 10 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

CHESHIRE’S Sue Dye will bid for her third national title when the Senior Women’s English Strokeplay Championship takes place at Beau Desert Golf Club, Staffordshire, from June 17-19.

Sue, from Delamere Forest, won this event in 2007 and went on to also become English seniors’ champion at Stoneham, Hampshire, in April.

She faces the challenge this year of an extended tournament. The strokeplay championship will be played over three rounds, instead of two, with a cut after 36 holes. The leading 16 players, and ties, from each of two divisions, will go forward to play the final round. The event has attracted a strong field of 90 players, including a host of seniors’ internationals and a good contingent of local Staffordshire players.

They include Gill Snelson of Branston who won the championship’s Division B in 2007, which was contested by players with handicaps of seven to 15. Gill has reduced her handicap to six since then and will be playing in Division A this year.

Among the competitors from further afield are Hampshire’s Chris Quinn, who is a past winner of the English and British seniors’ championship, and Nottinghamshire scratch golfer Janet Collingham, who was British champion in 1987 and is playing her first season of seniors’ golf.

Five members of England’s winning team from the 2007 Senior Home Internationals are in the field. Joining Sue Dye and Chris Quinn are Sue Ellis (Ferndown) Hilary Smyth (Pannal) and Pat Wrightson (Huddersfield).