08/09/2026
SECKFORD LADIES REACH THE STEARN TROPHY FINAL! ⛳️🏌🏼♀️
On 7th September, Seckford Ladies travelled to Bury St Edmunds to face Woodbridge in the Stearn Trophy semi-final.
The temperature was, for once, bearable - but the action on the course was anything but cool!
Morning Matches
Jan and Anja got Seckford off to a strong start, giving two shots to their opponents. They quickly moved two up, but Woodbridge fought back to level the match by the 9th hole. The contest remained finely balanced, with Seckford edging ahead once again as they reached the 15th tee.
Anja produced an outstanding tee shot on the par-3 15th, helping Seckford regain a two-hole advantage. On the 16th, Jan’s tee shot found a fairway bunker, but a good lie in the sand offered Anja the chance to recover. Jan then put the ball onto the green, and a well-taken putt secured the hole and a 3&2 victory.
Angela and Susie followed with another composed performance. Despite also giving shots, they secured an impressive 3&2 win.
Karen and Sharon were last out in the morning against a strong Woodbridge pairing. Despite their best efforts, a combination of unlucky bounces and bunker trouble saw them beaten 5&4.
At lunch, Captain Carol kept the afternoon pairings in the same order. Seckford held a valuable 2–1 lead, but with everything still to play for, the afternoon promised plenty of drama.
Afternoon Matches
Woodbridge introduced fresh players for the afternoon, leaving Jan and Anja giving six shots. Although they lost only one of the six holes where shots were given, they found themselves two down as they reached the 15th tee.
Once again, Anja delivered a superb tee shot on the par-3 15th, followed by an excellent putt from Jan to win the hole. The 16th was halved, leaving Seckford one down as they headed to the 17th.
Anja’s long drive on the 17th set up the hole perfectly, and Jan’s next shot left Anja a 127 yard approach to the flag. What followed was the shot of the day: a perfectly struck iron finishing just two feet from the pin. Seckford went to the 18th all square.
They knew that winning the hole would guarantee at least a playoff. After a hard-fought 18th, Anja faced a six-foot downhill putt breaking from right to left for the match.
With the pressure mounting, Anja calmly holed the putt to secure a 1-up victory for Seckford.
Karen and Sharon continued to battle throughout their afternoon match. Having been four down at one stage, they fought back to stand one down on the 17th tee. Unfortunately, they lost the 17th and, with it, the match.
Seckford therefore needed just half a point from the final match to avoid a playoff.
The next half hour was nail-biting.
Angela and Susie were locked in another closely fought contest. At one stage, they were two down, but they battled back to one down heading to the 18th tee, knowing that winning the final hole was essential to securing victory for Seckford.
Angela left Susie in the greenside bunker, and Susie’s bunker shot finished just short of the green. Angela then played a superb uphill putt, leaving Susie with a three-footer.
Woodbridge were also short of the green and had an opportunity to halve the hole. However, their first putt finished well short, and they missed the next putt, giving Susie the chance to win the hole and square the match.
With all eyes on her, Susie calmly holed the putt to secure the half point Seckford needed.
Final score: Seckford 3.5 – Woodbridge 2.5
An outstanding team performance secured Seckford Ladies a place in the Stearn Trophy final!
A huge thank you to Captain Carol and to all our reserves and supporters - Julie, Bev, Linda, Ali, Yvonne and Heather. Your encouragement, and of course the Jelly Babies, were greatly appreciated by the whole team.
We now look forward to the final against Fynn Valley, to be held at Aldeburgh on Sunday 4th October.
Photo from left: Sharon Graves, Anja Carter, Karen Hoskins, Jan Connett, Angela Sherring, Susie Blackett, Heather Beynon, Yvonne Southey, Ali Scarfe.
