Cheshire are Women's County Champions!
Our Women's team have won the English County Finals at Betchworth Park
After a wait of 30 years, the Cheshire team lead by Denise Burchell became English County Champions at Betchworth Park in Surrey.
We defeated Yorkshire 6-3 in the final to clinch the title
Cheshire team:
- Denise Burchell (Sandiway - non-playing Captain)
- Lucy Jamieson (Heswall)
- Morgan Bollan (Crewe)
- Imogen Williamson (Delamere Forest)
- Amy Anson (Sandiway)
- Emily McBurney (Royal Liverpool)
- Sophie Clafton (Wallasey)
- Lauren Jones (Mellor)
- Becky McGeehan (Chester)
- Clara Leathers (Wallasey)
Cheshire qualified for the England Women’s County Finals when finishing second to Yorkshire in the Northern County Match Week. Hosted by Betchworth Park Golf Club close to Box Hill in Surrey, the eight finalists faced a course that was fast and bouncy due to the sustained drought.
The welcome return of Lucy Jamieson after a long injury lay-off, and Morgan Bollan who has done so well representing Wales recently, provided Cheshire Captain Den Burchell with a strong line up that would be essential over four days of fierce competition. The finalists were split into two groups of four for a round-robin series of matches comprising three foursomes matches and six singles each day. The winner of each group would meet in the final to decide the championship.
We opened up with a match against Lincolnshire and this proved to be a really tough battle. Having taken two and half of the three foursomes points available, we then proceeded to lose the first three singles matches. Lauren Jones and Morgan Bollan came to the rescue and we were happy to get out with a drawn match.
The second day saw us take on Dorset and this proved to be a comfortable win. 7-2 was the final score
The third day proved to be a real nail-biter with qualification for the final on the line. Despite having lost their first two matches, Kent proved to be tough opposition and we found ourselves 2-1 down at lunchtime. Things didn’t look much better in the afternoon singles. The afternoon singles began with Cheshire needing at least one match point from a drawn contest, and with matches finely balanced across the course it would be a brave person to predict the outcome. First blood went to Cheshire thanks to victories from County Champion Morgan Bollan and Mellor’s Lauren Jones, putting the pressure firmly back on Kent.
Kent responded with a point of their own, leaving everything resting on the final four matches. But in one of those we were dormie four down. That player was Heswall’s 2025 English Amateur Champion, Lucy Jamieson.
But Lucy mounted an incredible comeback, reeling off birdies and eagles over the closing holes to keep her match alive, while Wallasey’s Sophie Clafton battled superbly in a tense, nip-and-tuck encounter.
Sophie secured a priceless half point against a strong Kent opponent, but with scores filtering through it looked as though Cheshire had agonisingly fallen just short of Friday’s final. Lucy had other ideas.
Spectators suddenly turned to see Lucy standing in the 18th fairway – her match was still alive. A superb approach shot produced a birdie to secure another vital half point for Cheshire. Suddenly, just one more win from the final match would be enough to clinch a place in the final. Step forward Becky McGeehan from Chester Golf Club.
The calm and composed Becky had quietly and superbly played her way into a two-hole lead standing on the 17th fairway, before sealing victory just as the Cheshire posse came racing back across the course to cheer her home.
Cheshire would meet old foes Yorkshire in the final.
The morning foursomes were going Yorkshire’s way and they secured wins in the first two matches. At two-nil down we desperately needed a point from the third match and the ultra-reliable pair of Emily McBurney and Lauren Jones provided it with a gutsy win on the home hole.
It’s unclear what was said at lunch but it worked. We soon found ourselves up in five of the six singles matches.
Lauren Jones and Amy Anson were the first to secure comfortable wins and Lucy Jamieson then closed out a 1-up win on 18 having fought off a late surge from her opponent.
Katie Stephens, who won five from five during the week, added Yorkshire’s solitary singles point to make it 4–3, but Sophie Clafton’s 4&2 win on the 16th clinched the title.
Morgan Bollan was still out on the course, battling for a sudden death win. She put a cherry on the cake with a chip-in to win. Cue massive celebrations for the Cheshire players and supporters.
This was our first win in the county finals for thirty years and our fourth win in total since the championship began in 1953.
“It means everything to us as it’s 30 years since we’ve won it,” said Cheshire President Marjorie Griffiths.
“We probably had a better performance in the final against our great rivals Yorkshire than we did in the other rounds. We clawed our way to the final, but we played some very good teams. We were meant to do this.
“We are newbies really as we’re part of Cheshire Golf now we’ve unified with our men, and they’re going to be thrilled to bits.
“We’ve had a lot more investment in terms of playing and training, and we’ve justified that.”
This win followed success for Cheshire’s Boys last year in their county final and a very near miss in the Senior Men’s finals. This is without doubt our best run of success at national level in the 119 year history of county golf in Cheshire. Long may it last!
Huge congratulations to Denise Burchell and her team, coaches and all of the supporters. A win that will live long in the memory
