Amateur: Aileen Greenfield wins R&A Women's Senior Amateur Championship

Greenfield enjoyed the highlight of her career with a dramatic play-off victory over Catherine Rawthore in the R&A Women’s Senior Amateur Championship.

Behind all the way in the final round, the Pyecombe golfer holed from five feet for a birdie at the par five 18th to force the extra time and a par at the opening hole of sudden death, the tenth, sealed the title.

Greenfield, who led on 72 - the only sub-par score of the three days - after the first round, closed with a 77 for ten-over-par 229. The score was matched by Rawthore, who shot 79 on the final day.
 
In extra time, both players were on the green in two, but Rawthore three-putted from 45 feet while Greenfield two-putted for a solid par four.

Greenfield absolutely thrilled to win

The emotional new champion was close to tears as she hugged husband-come-caddie, Trevor, and she admitted she was absolutely thrilled to have lifted the prestigious trophy that earns an invitation to the US Senior Women’s Amateur Championship in Alabama in September.

The Sussex player said:
 
“Today I was so nervous and started really badly. But my putting was much better than yesterday. I actually never knew what the position was, or how far I was behind. I told Trevor not to tell me, so it was a bit of a surprise to get into a play-off. It was a good day and this is definitely my biggest win and it completes a nice treble.”
 
A victor in both the English Stroke and Match Play Seniors championships, Greenfield started the final round two shots behind playing partners, Rawthore and Jackie Foster.
 
A drive into the deep, tangly rough, a drop-out under penalty and a double-bogey six at the first was not the start of a champion to be, but she doggedly fought back and birdies at the 13th and 18th helped secure her place in the extra hole decider.

Rawthore's putt leads to disappointment

Rawthore, the 2014 champion at Royal Dornoch, closed with a 79, and was desperately disappointed with her form in the play-off where she hit her opening putt six feet past the hole. She said:
 
“I had been short before but just gave it too much. This year, it was not to be, but Aileen played really well and she is a great winner.”
 
Foster, from Bishops Stortford, looked set to take control when she made the best start of the final threesome and she led by three shots with nine holes to play.
 
But the most powerful of the top trio, her accuracy from the tee disappeared over the crucial final stretch. She finished with a third round 81, still good enough to secure third place on 12-over-par.

View the final leaderboard scores here.