Golf . . . from PEMBROKESHIRE SPORT

Lynne and Sharon shine for South Pembs

Two golfing ladies from South Pembrokeshire Golf Club made a little bit of golfing history by competing in the last 16 of the Daily Mail Foursomes at the Dalmahoy Golf Club in Kirknewton, near Edinburgh.

Lynne Rees and Sharon Kaye were the first ladies from Pembrokeshire to reach this final stage out of over 30,000 entrants from all over the UK and were transported to their big weekend by Lynne’s husband Keith.

Real battles to reach last 16

Each club is allowed to nominate one pair for the prestige event and when Sharon was ‘volunteered’ into being one half of South Pembs’ team she asked Lynne to join her and the partnership was formed. They get on really well and work on a ‘no apologies’ principle if one plays a bad shot because it is better to just get back on track – and to reach the last 16 they had to fend off the strong challenges from other clubs on no fewer than six occasions, starting out against Tenby, where they won by 3 and 2. They beat Newport (Pembs) on the 19th hole after an epic battle but then eased through the next two rounds with easy 6 and 5 victories over Haverfordwest and Swansea Bay before their toughest tussle, where they again won on the 19th against Tawe Vale (Pontardawe) where it rained all day! Sharon had reached the sixth round before with Tricia Williams but they lost, and this time t heir sixth-round opponents were from Alice Springs Golf Club, where the South Pembs duo won by 6 and 4 to earn their place at Dalmahoy.

Great club support

They have received great support from the other club members, amongst them Ria Phillips, Pam Miliner and the rest of the ladies who organised a special ‘well done and good luck’ card which they all signed, along with a nice gift. Ann and Mike Williams even loaned them their batteries for a buggy at Dalmahoy, where they have all already been booked out.

Their accommodation and other expenses were all sorted out by the national newspaper and the draw was made so that they could practice on Sunday, with their tee-off time as precise as 2.22pm. Then the last 16 was to be played on Monday morning and the final eight then played in the afternoon – but unfortunately the weather was awful and play had to be suspended so that the championship was eventually decided on straight stroke play over a round, rather than their strength of direct match play, and they weren’t able to gain the silverware they might otherwise have earned.

Different starts

Lynne was a useful swimmer in school and swam for Wales at junior level as well as playing hockey in school but then her work in catering kept her busy and she wasn’t involved for some time. But all that changed when she took over the catering at South Pembrokeshire Golf Club, where her husband Keith and father, Don Evans, were already playing. She decided that it was time to play golf, took to it like a duck to water and was soon dropping her handicap, only for her progress to be halted for some eight years because she was so busy running her restaurant in Pembroke Dock.

But two years ago she decided that she had to make time for golf and has reduced her handicap from 36 to 30 during the course of her participation with Sharon in the Daily Mail Foursome competition.

Successes galore

Sharon has been playing now for 12 years after seeing a free golfing lesson for ladies advertised in the local press and deciding to give it a go. She had played hockey and other sports in school but now found herself soon involved in a game where she was practising at every possible moment and over the intervening time has reduced her handicap from 45 to 22. She has won most of the club’s cups at some stage and in the past was honoured to be Lady Captain, which was a very busy time.

Lynne has also been very successful and won silverware at South Pembs, including ‘Best Lady’ on lady captain’s day and on open day – and this year alone has seen her achieve the best score on Priskilly Golf Club’s open day, as well as other successes as far afield as the Coronation Foursomes in Brecon with lady captain Ria Phillips and the Australian Spoons Competition in Cardiff with Jan Tallett. She readily admits that she is competitive by nature and hubbie Keith says that she always beats him, despite his playing off a handicap of 26!

And finally . . .

Both ladies enjoyed the superb facilities in Scotland but were understandably disappointed at the way the finals had to be played – but they can take consolation from the fact that they were the first ladies from our county who reached the final stages of such a prestigious competition.

They enjoyed wonderful support from all and will always remember the experience – and we at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk wish them lots more golfing enjoyment and success at South Pembrokeshire Golf Club.

PHOTOS:

Daily Mail - here we come!

Lynne & Sharon with opponents from Swansea Bay.

Lynne & Sharon with the trophy that just eluded them in Scotland.