Come on Aileen… no slips this time in English Senior’s Strokeplay at St Enodoc

It was third time lucky for Pyecombe’s Aileen Greenfield, who took the English Senior Women’s Strokeplay title at St Enodoc, in Cornwall, having been runner-up in the championship twice in 2015 and 2016. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

A BIRDIE, birdie finish sealed a five-shot victory for Aileen Greenfield in the English Senior Women’s Strokeplay Championship at St Enodoc, in Cornwall.

Greenfield, from Pyecombe, in Sussex, came from a shot behind to beat Hertfordshire’s Jackie Foster, from Bishop’s Stortford, ahead of a three-way tie for third place.

The new champion who finished on 10-over, has come very close to winning the title before – notably getting into a play-off in 2015 when she made her debut in the senior ranks.

She was runner-up again the following year – but this time there were no mistakes as she added the title to the English Senior Women’s Amateur which she won last year.

Greenfield said: “I’m over the moon, absolutely over the moon.”

Aileen trailed Foster, a two-time winner, by a stroke going into Thursday’s final round and after two holes had dropped three further back. At the turn, Foster was still three shots clear, but it all changed on the back nine.

Greenfield came home in two-under with three birdies in the last four holes, while Foster struggled back in six-over.

Greenfield said: “I didn’t look at the scoreboard, I was playing with Jackie but I hadn’t a clue about the scores, I’d just have got too excited otherwise.”

“It was just a game of patience. The front nine was playing a lot harder than the back and I got though those holes trying to do no worse than a bogey and then I hoped to get the birdies later on.”

Third place was shared by Wakefield’s Julie Wheeldon, Middlesex’s former champion Lulu Housman, from Wyke Green, and Australia’s Sue Wooster.

St Enodoc’s Caroline Hume-Kendall finished in a tie for 19th place.

For full scores from St Enodoc click here.