PHOTO:
Andrea Dudden and Barbara Phillips

 
The 20^th and 21^st of September simply can’t come quickly enough for two lady members of Haverfordwest Golf Club because their golfing skills have earned them qualification for the 2015 Peugeot LGU Coronation Foursomes at St Andrews Golf Club, traditionally regarded as the home of golf.
 
Barbara Phillips and club ladies’ captain Andrea Dudden will make the long journey to the North of Scotland alongside 13 other successful pairs from all over the UK as reward for winning their own in-house foursomes competition and then gaining further success when they moved to their regional finals.
 
They will stay both nights, courtesy of Peugeot, at the Old Course Golf Hotel and Spa, and play at the Old Eden Course, one of three courses at St Andrews, and play a practice round there before the competition starts in earnest, followed by a dinner and presentation of trophies in the evening!
 
“We have even been promised a photograph taken on the famous bridge overlooking the 18^th hole and the world-famous clubhouse in the background,” said a disbelieving Barbara, “it is going to be a memorable trip, whatever the outcome!”
 
The intrepid pair, who described themselves as ‘retired pensioners’ joined forces for this year’s national competition, held under the auspices of the Ladies Golfing Union, using a half-combined handicap at Haverfordwest Golf Club, playing alternate shots and using a single ball.
 
With two points awarded for a par score at a hole, they amassed 38 points to earn the privilege of representing Haverfordwest Golf Club at the regional competition.
 
This took place at Fairwood Park Golf Club in Swansea, on the fringes of The Gower, with clubs represented from South and North Wales, plus a couple from across The Bridge. And on this occasion Barbara and Andrea returned a score of 35 points, no mean feat on a course they hadn’t played before and in windy conditions.
 
“We were just happy that we had played quite well,” Andrea admitted, “and not let our club down, so it was something of a surprise when it was announced that we had finished joint top – but won on the better back-nine score!”
 
So now there is likely to be practice aplenty before going off for the ‘big day’ at St Andrews – and golf lovers around the county will surely wish Barbara Phillips and Andrew Dudden every success, and a memorable visit, whatever the result!