CATHERINE Roberts has won the Lancashire Ladies County Championship for the second year in succession.
The girl who honed her talent at her father Peter’s club, Hart Common in Westhoughton where she is greenkeeper, proved herself the best in the county again when she beat Elizabeth Stebbings of Wiltshire 2&1 in the final at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
The 27-year-old took the coveted trophy following a 36-hole strokeplay qualifying round followed by four individual matchplay contests and then the final during an arduous three days competition.
Roberts, a member of both Hart Common and Pleasington golf clubs, made an early impression in the 36-hole qualifying round when she produced a 79+79=158 gross to win the Carr Gold medal for best gross and went on to win the best aggregate gross.
She gave an almost faultless display throughout in her trademark calm, nerveless style. County captain, Jane McMunn, praised the performance, saying: “We are blessed with a great squad in the county who give their all and our team players are always very helpful.
“Catherine is one of them, and when she plays she just puts her head down and plays golf with a smile, and usually wins.”
Roberts joined the Lancashire set-up at the age of 12 and played her first match at 15 with an 18-handicap.
But she soon moved up the scale and played numerous county matches over a four-year period.
The plus-one handicapper eventually made the senior team in 2003 when she played her first full county match, and has featured in four county championship finals, losing to Kelly Tidy in 2008 and to Bethany Garton in 2010.
She said: “I have only set my sights on my next Lancashire tournament, the Northern Counties County Finals week at Bishop Auckland later this month.
“I will be expected to play as number one against teams from the other five counties.”
On the prospect of taking her career to the highest level, she said: “The professional game does not appeal to me and I hope to be playing for Lancashire for a few years yet.”
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