Tankersley Park pair claim PING women's fourball betterball Grand Final victory

Tina Sampson, left, and Kerry Lamb with the PING womens fourball betterball Grand Final trophy (Picture: Leaderboard Photography)

YORKSHIRE sisters-in-law Kerry Lamb and Tina Sampson ignored the wet conditions to win the PING women's fourball betterball Grand Final on countback at Gainsborough.

The pair, from Tankersley Park, arrived on the tee with caddies wearing named bibs – and then put on a show to match, amassing 42pts in tough conditions on the Karsten Lakes course.

They pipped Bedfordshire teenagers Luca Thompson and Imogen Morton King on countback, thanks to their better back nine of 22pts.

“It’s just amazing,” said Lamb, a 10-handicapper. “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, other than having my kids.”

Sampson, who plays off 27, added: “We are really, really chuffed.”

This was a first national final for the pair and Lamb continuedd: “We are so proud. We’ve been talking about it for weeks and getting on everyone’s nerves.”

Sampson added: “When you think of all the thousands of women who entered and that we were in the top 50, it’s amazing and we bore everyone.”

The tournament – which is run by England Golf – attracted entries from 16,610 women from 885 clubs and the best qualifying score was 53pts. The top 50 pairs nationwide qualified for Tuesday’s Grand Final, and the next 50 played in Monday's Plate Final.

Lamb was comfortably below her handicap, starting with a birdie three on the first and adding another on the 14th, while Sampson also played her part.

“I had a few rough holes, but I expect to off my handicap, and I knew I would come in on a few holes,” said Sampson.

Runners-up Thompson, 15, and Morton King, 16, from Pavenham Park, started very strongly and they had amassed 22pts by the turn. But although they scored well on the inward half it was not quite enough to win.

Third place, on 41pts, went to another Yorkshire pair, Kath Tate and Terri Williamson, of Bedale, who also played in last year’s Grand Final.

Dave Fanning, marketing director for PING Europe remarked: “It’s 12 years since we came up with the concept of a ladies’ championship which was inclusive of all standards of golfer.

"With the full enthusiasm of England Golf we are able to put on a great event and the 16,000 plus people who play each year are testament to how popular it is.”