Midland Golf Union
Matt and Lottie win after double play-off
Cheshire’s Matt Dodd-Berry and Surrey’s Lottie Woad are celebrating after they both came through a play-off to win the boys’ and girls’ titles at the Midland U16 Championship at Hawkstone Park, Shropshire.
Dodd-Berry, from Royal Liverpool, triumphed on the second extra hole, while Woad, from Farnham, went to the fourth before she clinched the title with a birdie.
Dodd-Berry, 15, had a two-shot lead at the start of the third and final round but bogeyed the last to drop back into a tie with George Wright (Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire) on one-under.
He confessed to nerves as he headed for the play-off but clearly managed to settle them as he holed four-footers on both extra holes, winning with a par three on the second.
“This is my first big event and it’s special to get a win, it’s pretty good!” said Dodd-Berry who has been playing golf since he was a tot with plastic clubs.
He trains with the England North West regional squad and commented: “The advice that I have had has helped me so much, it helped me today to calm my nerves.”
Woad, 15, is no stranger to big events. She won the Abraham Trophy for England’s most improved girl golfer in 2017 and she’s recently become the youngest-ever Surrey ladies’ champion.
But today was her first play-off and she was pleased to be in it after starting the competition with an 81. A level par 72 in the second round left her two off the lead and at the end of 54 holes she was tied with Salysa Mason (Cottesmore, Sussex) on 12-over.
On the first extra hole Woad’s birdie putt horseshoed out of the hole but when the girls returned to it, as their fourth hole, she rolled in a 20ft putt to win. “I was actually lagging it, but it went in!” she said.
Woad is a member of England Golf’s South region squad.
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Caption: Covey Cup winners Matt Dodd-Berry and Lottie Woad with Alan Covey (centre).
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