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About twenty years ago a very senior member of Liphook was heard musing over the dearth of prestigious ladies events at Liphook. John Ling was the man and many of you will remember him. John, himself an accomplished golfer, could recall the talent that had presented itself at Liphook over the years in national events including the English Ladies’ Close Amateur Championship in 1963 when Angela Bonallack  (on the right)  beat Liz Chadwick in the final; the Girls’ British Open Championship came to Liphook in 1967;  the English Girls’ Close Championship was held here in 1971 and more recently in 2005 when Mel Reid beat Jodie Hodge in the final. Many of you will remember being involved with that event!

 John’s idea was taken up by the Ladies’ section and by the Club and in 1992 the first Ladies Scratch Cup was played for at Liphook. The event has become a regular feature on the English Ladies Golf Association (now the EWGA) Amateur Golf Circuit with players gaining Order of Merit points.  It features in the same list as similar high profile events held annually at Roehampton, The Berkshire, Sunningdale, Burhill, North Hants, Porters Park and Frilford Heath to name but a few. 

It was instantly popular with the players, and took off, resulting in a very impressive list of winners in the years since then. 36 holes of scratch stroke play in September at the end of the long playing season presents a challenge to lady golfers of all ages – provided of course that they ‘make the cut’. This is often as low as 4 with a full field of 66 playing in threes. 

Since 2006 the Scratch Cup has been held on a Saturday attracting a much larger and stronger entry.  Since 2008 the event has been played over a slightly lengthened course (5967 yards) with a Competition Standard Scratch (CSS) of 75 (par 72). A new course record has been set each year! It currently stands at 67, achieved in 2009 by Rachel Drummond from Beaconsfield. Sixteen-year-old Hayley Davis from Ferndown who won the cup that year and went on to win the English Girls’ Championship this year.

In September this year we had 76 entries for the 19th Scratch Cup – the cut was 6 and a full field took part once again.  Entrants ages range from 13 to 58 with the younger ones growing in number each year - the Under 18s comprised 50% of the entries! The 2010 event was won by Rachael Goodall, aged 19, of Heswall Golf Club, Cheshire, with a 36-hole total of 145 (playing off +1), six shots ahead of the second-placed Charlotte Ellis of Minchinhampton GC.

/-- Liphook Archive Information --/
#Medium:Document#
#Location:Website#
#Date Of Event:September 2010#
#Date Item Created:October 2010#
#Author:Caroline Scallon#
#Copyright:#