Hall drops off the pace after a promising start
ROUND-UP
LYDIA Hall looked on course for a second European Ladies Tour win when she led the Lalla Meryem Cup tournament midway through the third round, writes Tony Poole.
Staged at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco, the 29-year-old player from Pencoed fell off the pace during the final round.
She was tied second after a three under-par opening round of 69, and led the tournament after firing a second-round 68.
Moving day on Saturday saw her move down the scoreboard following a third round of 74 for a five under-par total of 211.
Norwegian Solheim Cup star Suzann Pettersen took over leadership on 210 with Annabel Dimmock (Wentworth) third on 212. But Lydia then shot a 78 on the final day during a curate’s egg of a card, containing three each of birdies, bogeys and double bogeys.
After such a promising start, it was disappointing seeing her finish tied 14th on 69, 68, 74, 78 for a 289 total.
But it was a major improvement on a year ago when she failed to make the halfway cut having shot rounds of 77 and 78.
Last Sunday Klara Spilkova (Czech Republic) won the event with a final round of 66 to place alongside previous rounds of 69, 74, 71 in a winning total of 280, finishing one shot in front of Pettersen.
Lydia, who is aiming for a place in this year’s Solheim Cup team, returns to European Tour action
She’s plays in Spain tomorrow (Thursday) on probably after that disastrous finish in Morocco on Sunday. next month. She is down to tee it up in the Buick Championship at Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club in China from May 11–14.
Her European Tour win came five years ago in the Handa Ladies British Masters at the Buckinghamshire club in Denham.
Last year she returned from surgery to record three top-10 finishes on the European Tour.
Charlie Strickland TEENAGER Charlie Strickland won another major tournament just four days after being crowned Duncan Putter champion at Southerndown.
The 17-year-old youngster from the Ham Manor club in West Sussex was the only player to go under the card during all four rounds out on the Ogmore-by-sea golf course.
He shot 69, 69, 67 and 69 for a six-under par total of 274 to win the tournament from Ben Chamberlain (Padeswood & Buckley) and Joshua Mc- Mahon, who both signed for par totals of 280.
He then moved on to the Peter McEvoy Trophy at the Copt Heath club in Solihull, West Midlands, and pulled off a superb three-shot victory.
Though Strickland trailed Robin Williams (USA) by one shot going into the final round, he again went on to record a fantastic victory.
Rounds of 70, 72, 68, 66 for an eight-under par total of 276 set up a threeshot win over German Jannik De Bruyn.