James Claims Inaugural Burhill Ladies Pro-Am
CAMBERLEY, ENGLAND – JUNE 11: The second place club professional of The WPGA Lombard Trophy South Qualifier Sian James of Wentworth Club during the The WPGA Lombard Trophy South Qualifier at Camberley Heath Golf Club on June 11, 2018 in Camberley, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)
Wentworth PGA Pro sweeps all before her at the first all Ladies PGA Pro-Am
In a trailblazing event, Wentworth based PGA Professional Sian James has claimed the first Burhill Ladies PGA Pro-Am title, notching up a 6-under-par round to collect the winner’s cheque of £600*.
With another win at Kedleston Park in the WPGA One Day Series back in July, a delighted James said: “After a couple of years off following a wrist injury, it’s nice to be playing again although with a lot less expectation. It was also my first time around Burhill’s Old Course, which was in great condition.”
James added: “The greens were fast but holding which really suited my game and I putted well. I had a great team of ladies and we all had a terrific day’s golf, thanks to the initiative of Burhill and The PGA in England (South).”
In a field that saw 27 lady PGA Professionals, each with a team of three lady amateurs, competing in this so far unique Pro-Am, James’s stunning performance put her four in front of her nearest rival, Shannon Flynn Hanly (Robert Rock Academy) on 38 points, with Heather MacRae in third spot on 37.
In a shotgun start James teed off at the 18th, opened with a birdie and then eagled the first. Three holes later she holed a greenside chip to eagle the par four fourth as well, and then deuced the sixth to be six-under after seven.
Things didn’t go quite as smoothly over the next few holes with a couple of bogeys, but these were repaired with two birdies on the trot at the 14th and 15th. A third eagle at the 15th was undone by two more bogeys on the 16th and 17th, but by then it didn’t matter – James still finished on a scorching six-under-par, four shots in front of the field.
Piltdown’s Maria Tulley and her 4midable ladies won the team event, edging out Flynn Hanly’s 3 Nations team by one stroke.
*pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi18/event/pgagbi18857/contest/1/leaderboard.htm?newcontest=1
