Liz Young claimed her second victory of the season in the Rose Ladies’ Series event at North Hants golf club. The result puts her on the brink of claiming the Slync Slam.
The Hampshire venue, the childhood home club of US Open and Olympic Champion Justin Rose, played host to an excellent contest.
Young, with husband Jonathan on her bag, shot six birdies, including three in a four hole stretch from the 13th. to surge to the top of the leaderboard. It proved to be a position she would not relinquish.
A final score of three under par was enough for a one shot victory over Tara Mactaggart, who, like Young, reached 2 under on the 13th, but couldn’t match Young’s final push. Emily Slater and amateur Lottie Woad also finished in red numbers.
The triumph follows a victory at Woburn in the Rose Series’ second event in May. That success was also Young’s first professional win, testament to the hard work she has put into her short game since winning the inaugural Sports Marketing Surveys Award. Presented by Chairman Stephen Proctor, the gift was awarded on the basis of her idea – the Rose Series was born from Young’s original plan to provide competition for Britain’s best female golfers during lockdown – and excellent, consistent results.
Her second victory of 2021 gives Young the chance to compete for the £50,000 Slync Slam. The bonus pot is available to any player recording two series wins and victory in next week’s Grand Finale, held at Bearwood Lakes. Gabs Cowley is also in the running following wins at West Lancs and The Berkshire.
Before that, a final regular season event at The Buckinghamshire gives one of 2021’s one-time winners – Caroline Inglis, Gemma Dryburgh, Jae Bowers, Gemma Clews and Becky Brewerton – a chance to join Cowley and Young in competing for the bonus prize.
The good news is that Young has form in following up victories. Following her Woburn win she went thrillingly close to back to back victories the following week, having a putt on the 18th to win outright before suffering a playoff defeat at her home course, Brokenhurst Manor. If she is in a similar position on the final green on Saturday, don’t bet against her walking away with the grand prize this time.
