The Liphook Scratch Cup puts Liphook Golf Club firmly on the England National golfing fixture list each year and never more so than in this year of the club’s centenary.
Saturday was a perfect day for golf – warm, sunny with a slight breeze from the north-west catching the players out on the first tee! A field of 54 of the best players in the country lined up to play the yellow course – the youngest aged 13 and 27 players with handicaps at or below scratch. This provided for a very close finish. While praising the condition of the course, all players admitted to finding the greens very tricky at 10.8 on the Stimpmeter.
Playing Liphook for the first time, nothing deterred 15 year-old Matilde Santilli (-1) from Foxhills,. She won the Cup with rounds of 74 & 72 for a 36 hole total 146. Isabella Kent (-3) from Castle Royle was second on 148 (75,73) on a countback from the Surrey County Champion Rebecca Gee (-1) also on 148 (75,73) from Hindhead. In fourth place was Millie Cottrell from Wentworth on 150 (76,74), a countback from Jess Haines, Burnham & Berrow (74,76).
Matilde has had a very successful year winning the top amateur prize at the Roehampton Gold Cup in April; scoring a record six under par on the new course at Sunningdale in the Critchley Salver; a member of the successful Surrey County Team; 8th place in the England Under 16 girls’ championships at Formby - among many other achievements during a very busy year. She is about to embark on her GCSE’s this month – combining studies with golf.