10/09/2026
The Cornwall Women’s Seniors team competed in the South West Women’s Seniors Championships at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club on Tuesday 8 September.
This year saw a new format introduced for the Championships, with teams increased from four players to six. The best four gross scores from each team counted towards the overall team total.
The Cornwall team included two players who had recently represented the county at England Golf national events. Rachael Lloyd Phillips (Tehidy Park) competed in the England Golf Women’s Champions Club just 10 days earlier, while Carmel Connors (Falmouth) represented Cornwall in the Women’s Seniors Champion of Champions the weekend just gone.
Completing the team were Caroline Hume-Kendall (St Enodoc), Jan Harrison (St Enodoc), Annie Lobb (Newquay) and Pauline Clifton (West Cornwall). Cornwall Golf President Nikki Hodge (Perranporth) accompanied the team as reserve, should she have been required during the event.
The practice round was played in gale-force winds, with gusts reaching up to 40mph, making an already demanding Burnham and Berrow course even more challenging. Unfortunately, the wind failed to ease for the Championship itself. With the opening nine holes played directly into the wind, the conditions made for an exceptionally difficult day of golf on an extremely tough course.
The difficulty of the conditions was reflected in the individual scores. Somerset’s Amanda Mayne was crowned 2026 South West Women’s Seniors Champion with an excellent score of 78 — the only score under 80 in the Championship.
Cornwall’s leading performer was Rachael Lloyd Phillips, who finished in 10th place with a score of 87.
Despite the testing conditions, all six Cornwall players gave their all throughout the Championship. The team spirit and camaraderie were fantastic over the two days, with the players supporting each other both on and off the course.
Cornwall finished sixth overall with a team total of 356, just three shots behind joint fourth-placed Wiltshire and Devon. Host county Somerset took the title with a score of 338.
Final Team Standings
Somerset — 338
Gloucestershire — 343
Dorset — 348
Wiltshire — 353
Devon — 353
Cornwall — 356
Next year’s South West Women’s Seniors Championships will be held at Wrag Barn Golf Club in Wiltshire on 19 and 20 July 2027.
