Suffolk Ladies Championship 2022

Picture: Alice Barlow and Lils James, winner and runner-up of Scratch Match Play

 Alice Barlow from Bury St Edmunds Golf Club has secured her sixth successive Suffolk Matchplay title to become County Champion.

Sadly, due to injury, Lils James of Bungay and Waveney Valley Golf Club had to concede the final of the Matchplay to Alice.  This is not the end to the competition anyone would have wished for but the health of any player must come first.  We send our thoughts and best wishes for a speedy return to full fitness to Lils.

Rookery Park provided exceptional hospitality over the 3 days and nothing was too much trouble for the staff on hand.  A huge thank you!

The winner of the Handicap Match Play was Jasmine Points.  In a hard-fought final Jasmine won against Christiane Kubitzek on the 17^th – no mean feat when she had to give 11 shots to her opponent.  

It would be remiss, not to take the opportunity to make special mention of Alice’s achievements.  In their lifetime, most players may have a “purple patch” of success over a comparatively short duration.  However, it seems that success has been a consistent byword in Alice’s vocabulary with an impressive number of titles to her name.  Her name has been engraved on most of the most prestigious cups and shields played for on the Suffolk golfing circuit.  She can now add a national title to her collection!

Alice lifted her first senior national title with a four-shot success in the Welsh Women’s Open Stroke Play Championship at the end of April in what was to be a dream weekend for her.  A fantastic round on the Friday saw the 2016 England Girls’ County Champion of Champions winner complete a Matchplay round in a four-under-par 70 for a three-shot lead.  A 74 round on the Saturday saw her go into the final day two ahead.  She completed the weekend with a final round of 73.

Whilst skill and natural ability have their parts to play, none of this is achieved without hard work and dedication and Alice’s work ethic is to be commended.  In the words of Gary Player “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”                                                                                                                                                                                               

 Carol Deslandes