Susan aiming to make a Splash in Portugal

Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club amateur Susan Spash says playing in the WPGA Lombard Trophy Final in Portugal will be the experience of a lifetime.

Spash will partner WPGA Professional Alice Hiluta at the National Pro-Am Championship showpiece which is being held in the Algarve.

The pair qualfied after finishing third overall in the Regional Final at Camberley Heath Golf Club in June.

They carded a four under par round of 68 to finish joint top of the leaderboard. Although they missed out on top spot on countback, they still did enough to book their place in final.

Now Spash, who works a tax adviser in London, and Hiluta will be aiming to win the £7,800 Coca-Cola and Pestana Resorts supported, event which is being held at the Vila Sol resort between September 20-21.

“The women’s part of the Lombard Trophy is still relatively young,” said Spash.

“We’ll be giving our very best, there’s an element of we’re already winners, and we’re going to enjoy it and promotes ladies’ goal.

“But there’ll be a positive mental attitude from both of us.

“It’ll be a wonderful experience and, as an amateur, I may not get the opportunity to be involved in such a prestigious event again. It’s really exciting.”

Spash says that qualifying for the final has further highlighted a club where women’s golf already has a high priority.

“It has been weird because people at the club have been coming up to me and saying: ‘Hello Susan’. I don’t know their name, but they’ll have seen my photo on the website and know I’m going to the Lombard Trophy,” added Spash, who has seen her handicap cut from 22 to 18 since confirming her place in Portugal.

“I say to my husband now that ‘I’m in training’, this isn’t playing golf for pleasure any more!

“He’s not a golfer so there’s a wry smile, he’s a cyclist who goes on long rides.

“But I’ve had a bit of a purple patch, things have been going well which has led to my handicap being cut. The thought of playing in the final is slightly scary, but I imagine there’ll be others in the same position.”

For more information on the 2018 Lombard Trophy Final, click here.

For more information on the PGA National Pro-Am Championship, click here.