Sian Evans triumphed in a dramatic playoff to win the Women’s PGA Professional Championship, while Hazel MacGarvie claimed a dominant victory in the Women’s PGA Assistants’ Championship at Goswick.
The flagship event on the WPGA calendar returned to the Northumberland coastline for a second year – with Sian firing back-to-back rounds of 73 to force a playoff with Tracey Boyes after a tightly contested finish. Tracey had opened with an impressive two under-par round of 70, but a second-round 76 allowed Sian to close the gap and draw level.
Tied at two over-par, the pair returned to the 18th tee for what would be a gripping playoff that stretched over four replays. Ultimately, Sian sealed victory with a long birdie putt.
“It’s surreal, I’m a bit shocked actually,” said Sian following her win. “It’s amazing as it’s something I’ve always wanted to win, and I’ve been close a couple of times. It feels really good.”
Sian recalled the tense playoff sequence – after parring the first hole, she birdied the second, followed by another par on the third. Then, on the fourth attempt, she calmly rolled in a 35ft putt for birdie.
“I just wanted to stay calm. I had a bad patch in round one where I made a triple and a couple of bogeys and I panicked a little bit. Today I came out and I just wanted to be calm and play my game. I knew it was going to be a bit tougher today with the wind swirling in different directions, so I just wanted to make plenty of pars. I had to be patient.”
A 2024 WPGA Cup trio – Heather MacRae, Suzanne Dickens and Lindrick-based Holly Morgan, who lifted the trophy in this event in 2024 – missed out on the playoff by just one shot.
Meanwhile, Royal Troon trainee Hazel delivered a dominant performance in the Women’s PGA Assistants’ Championship, which ran concurrently. After opening with a three under-par round of 69 in round one – including three consecutive birdies at four, five and six – Hazel repeated that same score in round two to post a six under-par total and cruise to the title.
“It feels really good,” said Hazel. “I stuck to the plan, found fairways and greens and holed some putts. I had a couple of early bogeys, but I managed to steady my game – overall it was a great day and I’m feeling really good.
“This win definitely helps my confidence going into the rest of the season. It’s nice to get a win in early, hopefully kick on and keep playing well and get plenty of practice in before the next event.”
