Alex sizes up Portugal trip

Amateur Alex Sizer (left) with her partner Claire Duffy.

Hampshire amateur Alex Sizer has won through to the WPGA Lombard Trophy Final in Portugal despite admitting to ‘last minute’ preparations for the event.

The Southampton-based player, who works in property maintenance, teamed up with Bramshaw Golf Club PGA Professional Claire Duffy for the regional final held at Camberley Heath Golf Club.

And they shot an eight under par round of 64 to win the event on countback thanks to an impressive back nine which included six birdies with four in succession.

They tied at the top with Suzanne Dickens and amateur partner Anne Curwen from Peterborough’s Thorpe Wood Golf Course.

A further shot back was the Essex pairing of Sarah Bennett and Cherry Clarke of Three Rivers Golf & Country Club.

All three teams will now play in the £7,800, Coca Cola and Pestana Resorts supported, grand final taking place at the Vila Sol resort in Portugal between September 21-22.

But Alex, who has been a member at Bramshaw for the past six years, admitted she was surprised by the victory with Claire who only joined the club three months ago - with the pair getting the chance to play together just once before the qualifying event.

“Claire played exceptionally well, and I contributed on the back nine, but we’d only played 11 holes together in the week before the event, it was all very much last minute,” explained the 15 handicapper.

“The one thing Claire told me before the event was to go out and have fun rather than thinking about it, and that’s the way we’ll approach the final in Portugal.

“I grew up playing golf but gave it up in my late teens, then I took it up again about six years ago.”

Duffy, formerly with Test Valley Golf Club, was delighted to mark her arrival at Bramshaw by qualifying for the national WPGA final.

“We started off nicely, then we both put together a good little back nine which meant we qualified, but the team we tied with had a better front nine,” she said.

“After playing 11 holes before the event I thought ‘You never know’, but it was the only time we’d played together. You always think if you can get pars and birdies you might and a chance - but I said after the event that these sort of things never happen to me! But it did and we dovetailed together really well. But it’s a competition I’d always try and get the club involved in.”