South West to the fore! Cornwall's Sarah-Jane Boyd shot two-under 70 to take the halfway lead in the English women's amateur championship, while Devon's Emma Tayler fired the lowest score so far with 69.
Such results seemed most unlikely at the start of day. Heavy overnight rain meant play was delayed for an hour and the morning was notable for downpours, wind and chilly temperatures. But the green keepers produced the course in fine condition and, by dint of strategic squeegeeing, they kept play moving.
The weather was awful on the front nine, said Sarah-Jane, from Truro. But everyone was facing the same conditions and I just kept going. I quite enjoy playing in the wind and rain and, coming from Cornwall, I'm used to it.
The 21-year-old started on the 10th hole and had five birdies in her round including three in a row from the second and her putt for 69 died on the lip on her last hole. The greens were hardly affected by the rain and putted nicely they were a credit to the staff, she said.
Her target, standing on the first tee, was regulation golf in the difficult conditions but she exceeded that. Six straight pars were followed by three consecutive birdies from the seventh, including a chip-in on the eighth. She had her only bogey of the round on the 10th, but reclaimed the shot with a birdie two on the 14th.
I've been playing really good golf and today the putts started falling, said Emma, 26. She spent five years at university in the USA and is devoting this season to full-time golf with the target of finishing in the top 10 in the order of merit.
Gabriella Cowley, 17, (Brocket Hall) fared differently on the greens. I hit the ball really well, probably the best I have this season, but the putts just wouldn't drop, she commented after she signed for a one-over 73. But it's all to play for tomorrow.
She shared the first round lead with English stroke play champion Alex Peters (Notts Ladies') who now lies fourth after a second round 77.
Four players share fifth place, including 14-year-old Sammy Fuller (Roehampton) who, like Jerry Lawrence (Rochester & Cobham Park), scored one-over 73 today. Among the other youngsters to make the cut is 13-year-old Hollie Muse of West Lancashire, the reigning English U13 champion.
There was disappointment, however, for Kings Norton players, Charlotte Dalton and Debbie Warren, who both missed the cut with Charlotte missing out by just one shot.
Notes for Readers:- England Golf is the governing body for amateur golf in England.
England Golf was formed on 1st January 2012 following the merger of the English Golf Union Ltd. and the English Women's Golf Association and is one of the largest sports governing bodies in England looking after the interests of over 1,900 golf clubs and 770,000 men and women club members.
Responsible for the training of the country's top amateur golfers, England Golf also organises all the major English amateur championships. England Golf works to actively encourage new golfers and increase the continued interest and participation in golf through its golf development initiative Get into Golf'.
England Golf is a member of The England Golf Partnership (EGP) together with the PGA and supported by the Golf Foundation and Sport England. Their Whole Sport Plan for golf identifies how England will achieve its vision of becoming The Leading Golf Nation in the World by 2020' from grass roots right through to elite level.
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