D-Day at Dunham

Retired banking director Sue Kiddle, left, cashed in at Dunham Forest Golf Club to win the WPGA Lombard Trophy regional final.

The Dinsdale Golf Club amateur from Stockton on Tees partnered PGA Professional Nikki Dunn for the event at the Cheshire venue.

They carded a four under par round of 68 to win by just one shot ahead of Sophie Daws  and Kate Mills of Kent’s Etchinghill Golf Club and Eleanor Robinson and Gill Swaby-Ward of  Wike Ridge Golf Club in Leeds.

All three pairings will now play in the inaugural £7,500 WPGA Lombard Trophy grand final which is supported by Coca Cola and is being held at beautiful Pestana Golf Resort in Vila Sol from September 22-23.

But for Kiddle, it was a case of doing her sums and working out the odds of getting into the top three.

“I saw the field and knew there was a one in five chance of us qualifying, so I just put my mind to it and focused on us getting there - and we did,” said the 18 handicapper who has only been playing at Dinsdale, near Darlington, since September.

“I felt it was a club that offered more opportunities for ladies’ golf so I joined. But I’d never played with Nikki before - she didn’t know how I played at all, but it worked out so well.

“My knees were knocking a bit at the start but I had a big smile on my face driving home.”

Kiddle holed two nett eagles in successive holes - the 11th and 12th - and that proved to be the difference at the top of the leaderboard.

“Sue was a real superstar, she had a great day and so did I,” said Dunn.

“I wanted to play this event because I want to support the fact that the PGA had made another event available for women to play in. It’s great that we have our final in Portugal and that they’re doing more for the women’s game. I know the men’s event is very popular and I can see the women’s version going the same way from now on.”

Scoreboard here.