Speedgolf, the faster more athletic form of golf, which pitches speed against accuracy, introduced a dedicated women’s category for the first time at their Open Championship and the title was won by Emma Morgan.
Last week Emma Morgan (pictured above) was crowned British Speedgolf’s first female champion. The faster more athletic form of golf, which pitches speed against accuracy, introduced a dedicated women’s category for the first time at their Open Championship at Dale Hill Golf Club, East Sussex.
The undulating course, measuring 5164 yards, provided a challenging test for the competitors, who are required to demonstrate their golfing prowess as well as their running ability. The skill to Speedgolf success lies in balancing your running pace whilst managing your ability to quickly and accurately play your shots to get the lowest score possible.
In a strong field of 30 competitors, who ranged in age from 17 to 57, it was Emma Morgan from Crowborough Golf Club who came out victorious. Morgan who plays golf regularly off a 6 handicap, shot 88 in just 64 minutes and 22 seconds giving her a Speedgolf Score of 152:22 (the final score is calculated by combining the total shots taken plus the time to complete the course.)
The sport which tackles the problem of slow play head on, provides the ideal format for Emma a former county player, who since having her children struggles to fit the traditional game into her busy schedule.
Runner-up was Virginia Deigan from Melbourne Australia who ran an impressive time of just 58 minutes 13 seconds but her golf fell short of the mark on the day when she shot 100 giving her a speedgolf score of 158:13. Virginia had flown in especially for the championship and will compete in the Australian Speedgolf Open Championship at the end of this month! The field included competitors with an assortment of backgrounds and ability levels and they all finished their rounds, many with personal best times.
The sport certainly offers a new and exciting form of the game that rewards a balance between speed and precision and demands both power and endurance. Whilst Speedgolf has been established for some time in the US, the sport has only recently begun to find global popularity. Morgan’s win will grant her automatic qualification into the sport’s 4th annual International’s World championships, which is hosted in the United States in October.
For further information, visit www.britishspeedgolf.co.uk
