The Bradford Golf Club women’s team is heading out to Spain in March with a chance to win the National Golf Club Team Competition.
More than 700 teams set off in 2024 – the ninth year of the five-player team matchplay knockout event, which is run by Matchplay Golf in association with Kyocera/Annodata and is the only competition of its kind in the UK.
After seven rounds of knockout competition around the UK, the Bradford team has earned a place in the grand final in Spain – with the semi-finals and final set to take place at the Barcelo Montecastillo resort in Jerez on March 3-7.
A squad of nine players – team captain Maggie Ellis, ladies captain Kate Cooper, Sian Walters, Liz Caven, Linda Hugill, Sarah Horsman, Jude Musgrave, Debs Rockcliffe and Yvonne Barker – helped the team progress to the final stages. En route, they have overcome teams from Selby and Ganton away from home and beat teams from Wetherby, Kirkbymoorside and Accrington & District at home.
With three of the four quarter-finals won by the home teams – Northamptonshire, Bude & North Cornwall and Dartford – the Bradford team faced a 156-mile trip north to Murrayfield. In Scotland, they completed a decisive 4-1 victory to book their place in Spain.
“It’s been a fantastic run so far, with a great team spirit and the whole club behind us,” said Maggie. “We’ve en-joyed the knockout format, which is a bit different to inter-club matches, and there’s some real pressure in every one of the games. We knew we were up against it when we had to go up to Scotland in the last round, but we played incredibly well, and we were proud to be only team to win away from home in the quarter-finals. We’ve been out to Spain already for a practice trip at a different venue – which was a nice change from the freezing cold winter conditions at home! We’re ready to go out and do our best.”
The squad of six players heading out to Spain along with captain Kate includes Maggie, Sian, Liz, Linda, Sarah and Jude.
Meanwhile, in the men’s event, Farnham (Surrey), Williamwood (Glasgow), Fingle Glen (Exeter) and Boyce Hill (Essex) will compete for the national title in Spain.
