Nicholas stages repeat show at Little Aston

Alison Nicholas MBE produced another dominant display at Little Aston Golf Club to win the opening event of the WPGA One Day series for the second year running.

The former European Tour and Solheim Cup star is also set to stage another bid for the Order of Merit title she won last year.

Nicholas, of Hagley Golf Club, could take part in another three WPGA One Day Series events this year after cancelling her USA schedule for the year.

She won by three shots at the Birmingham venue after carding a five under par round of 69 to leave Hannah Barwood  (American Golf) and Katie Tebbet  (Rothley Park Golf Club) trailing in joint second place.

Nicholas is a former Open and US Open champion and won 12 events on the Ladies European Tour.

She also competed in six European Solheim Cup teams as well as being captain in 2009 and 2011.

But she plans to play more domestic golf this year and was encouraged by her form at Little Aston.

“I played really well, I was five under par on the day and could’ve been much better,” she said.

“I don’t know what it is about Little Aston, I won there last year and again this time. But it’s a great venue and we had a beautiful day for golf.”

Nicholas played in the States towards the end of last season but has no firm plans to go back this time.

“It’s a lot of travelling and long way to go for maybe one event, and to make it worth my while I have to finish quite high up the leaderboard,” she said.

“It’s okay if you live there, there are some good competitions, but I felt I was a little out of sorts.

“So I’ll probably play most of my golf here this year as well as teaching.

“I plan to play more One Day Series events, I’m looking at Dunham Forest, Kedleston Hall and maybe South Herts as that’s  a course I particularly like.”