Kendal golfer happy with performance at women's Amateur Championship

Caitlin Whitehead, 20, a student from Kendal who is studying marketing at North Carolina University in the United States courtesy of a golf scholarship, made the cut at the Ferndown Golf Club in Dorset with 32 of England’s best women’s golfers.

In treacherous conditions, which caused play to be halted on the 13th due to an incoming storm, Caitlin battled hard and eventually won her quarter-finals match on the second play-off hole.

The 20-year-old was two-up against Ellen Yates of West Hill Golf Club in Woking in the semi-finals after four holes and found herself still two-up with just three holes to play.

That was until Ellen birdied the 15th to pile the pressure on.

The 18th saw Caitlin needing to recover for bogey after a wayward tee shot but a three-putt meant her opponent won the hole to take the match to a play-off.

A sublime chip from Ellen on the first play-off hole to one foot secured par as Caitlin’s birdie putt was shy of the hole before a superb tee shot in the rain from Ellen was too good for Caitlin whose par putt rolled wide to end a thriller.

However, despite missing out on booking her a place in the final, Caitlin was proud of her achievements.

She said: “I was really happy to just qualify but I was so proud to have come third and to have recorded some wins. I’m really happy with how the week went. I was competing with some of the best ladies in England.

“I learnt that with all the adversity with the weather it was good that I was able to perform and adapt under different conditions with the wind, rain and a storm that was coming in.”

Ellen would go on to win the competition in another play-off against Rebecca Earl of Bishops Stortford Golf Club.

Caitlin is now focusing on her return to America where she will play competitively against other universities.

“I’d like to forge a career as a professional golfer one day, but we’ll see how it goes,” she added. "I still have two more years to go until I graduate.”