Ellen Hume

knocks out

defending

champion

Georgina

Blackman

 

Hertfordshire’s Ellen Hume (pictured) caused the upset of the day when she knocked out defending champion Georgina Blackman at the English Women’s Amateur at Saunton, Devon.

The 19-year-old from Mill Green, who won by two holes, admitted that she felt some nerves as she prepared to face the England international in the first match play round.

But Hume has returned from her first year at college in the USA with her confidence high and she commented: “I’ve been paying well out in America and I knew I was in a good place with my game and I battled it out.”

Blackman, from Essex, took the early advantage and was three up after six, helped by holing an enormous birdie putt on the fifth. But after 10 holes the two players were all square and trading holes as the match moved to its conclusion.

Hume pulled off a delicate up and down on the 16^th to move one ahead and she sealed her win with a par three on the last. “It was an amazing feeling to win, especially playing such a talented golfer. I’m very happy,” she said.

Elsewhere England internationals Lily May Humphreys of Essex, Bel Wardle of Cheshire and Emily Toy of Cornwall came safely through the first round, as did girl international Charlotte Heath, from Yorkshire.

Humphreys, the number one seed, held off a strong challenge by Briony Bales from Co Durham, winning through on the 17th. “We both played well, with lots of pars and birdies,” said Humphreys. “It was always up and down, there weren’t many halves!”

The 17-year-old, who has won Irish and Welsh titles already this month, got ahead with a birdie on the 14^th – after taking on the corner with her drive – and then won with another birdie on the long 17th, after reaching the green in two.

Wardle and Toy both won 4 and 2 while Heath was a 3 and 2 winner.

Meanwhile Staffordshire’s Emily Brennan won through two matches today. First she beat Gloucestershire’s Ebonie Lewis in a preliminary round to decide the final place in the main draw. Then she caused another of the day’s upsets when she beat Yorkshire’s Nicola Slater, an international and the winner of the 2018 English Women’s Match Play Championship.

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