Victory For Alice

Teenager Alice Hewson held on tight to beat a swing wobble and win the Hampshire Rose by a stroke at North Hants - she finished on one-over for 36 holes and one shot clear of Inci Mehmet.

“It’s great to win,” said the 17-year-old international from Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire. “It’s incredible to follow some of the names on the board, like Charley Hull, Georgia Hall and Hannah Burke.”

Hewson made an excellent start to the event, as she put some swing changes into effect, but she was forced to dig deep to win. She was two-under for the first round and was four-under after 28 holes, but then she slipped back to old methods and on to the bogey trail.

“My driving got a bit wayward, but I managed to just about keep a score going. I didn’t know how big my lead was, but I knew a couple of people had had good front nines and were getting closer. Then I birdied the 17th and that gave me a little bit of room going down the last,” she said. “I was very pleased to hold on when it was getting difficult.”

She finished on one-over for 36 holes and one shot clear of Inci Mehmet (Royal Mid-Surrey) and Sophie Keech (Parkstone). Eloise Healey (West Lancashire) and Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest) were a further stroke back.

Hewson, a member of the England Golf women's squad, will become a student at Clemson University in South Carolina, USA, later this year. Last year she helped England win both the girls’ and ladies’ Home Internationals and this season she has reached the matchplay stages of both the Spanish and French championships.

Leading final scores - Par 73 CSS 75 75

147 Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted) 71 76
148 Inci Mehmet (Royal Mid-Surrey) 76 72; Sophie Keech (Parkstone) 76 72
149 Eloise Healey (West Lancashire) 78 71; Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest) 76 73
151 Luan Skeates (The Buckinghamshire) 76 75
152 Jade Guest (Gog Magog) 75 77; Ella Ofstedahl (Mill Green) 73 79
153 Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) 77 76; Rebecca Gibbs (Bristol & Clifton) 76 77