GIRLS' BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
SHREYA GHEI will need visa to enter Britain for Girls' British Open championship.New Delhi girl 'extremly keen to play'
but she is on the LGU waiting list
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Shreya Ghei, who had her 16th birthday on July 6, would like to play in the Girls’ British Open championship at West Lancashire Golf Club from August 10 to 14.
The only trouble is that Shreya is one of a record number of well over 200 girls, almost worldwide, who want to play in the Ladies Golf Union’s flagship tournament for girls who were under-18 years on January 1.
There is only room for 144 to play in the two stroke-play qualifying rounds of the championship so the LGU officials have taken the 144 players with the lowest handicaps from those that have entered.
The cut-off point is 3.5, which is also believed to be a record low for the tournament. Two decades, maybe even only 10 years ago, a player with six or seven of a handicap was guaranteed a place in the prestigious championship. Which underlines how the standard of player at the top-end of girls’ golf, certainly in Europe, has got better and better over the years.
Shreya Gei’s handicap earlier in the season was three which, if she had been able to maintain it, would have got her into the Girls’ British Open championship without a problem. But her handicap has gone up over 3.5, which is why she finds herself at No 11 in the waiting list.
As Susan Simpson, the LGU’s Head of Operations says, “There is usually substantial movement in the waiting list so those who have not gained a place in the field should not be too disappointed just yet. Please note that subsequent handicap changes do not alter a player’s place in this waiting list.”
There is another factor as far as Shreya is concerned that will not apply to majority of those on the waiting list. She lives in New Delhi, India and will need a visa to enter Britain if she is to play in the Girls’ British Open.
Obtaining a visa is not cheap and it can take time so Shreya’s parents will have had to make the decision to go for it and risk losing the outlay should she not come off the waiting list for the West Lancashire tournament.
Shreya has told the LGU: “I am extremely keen to play in the Girls’ British Open and I am hoping that the waiting list will clear for me to be included in the field too. As I have to travel all the way to England from India, I will need to obtain a visa.
Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk contacted Shreya to get some more background details. Here is her reply (in word-perfect English, it has to be said):
“I have been playing golf since the age of about 10. My parents introduced me to the game at that age as they were playing a little bit at that time.
“They had always wanted me to play some kind of sport but I had always refused as I didn’t like any of the ones I had tried, for example tennis, horse rising, basketball, etc.
“However, I developed a penchant for golf from the day I took my first lesson. I actually wanted to play a sport in which I didn’t have to run around and swat much. I guess golf was the closest fit!
“The game of golf became one of my best buddies since then and I think it will remain that way for a long time to come.
“My golfing credentials are:
1 Tied eight in the 107th Malaysian Ladies Amateur Championship in May, 2009.
2 Sixth in the Jakarta World Junior Championship (15-17yrs) in June, 2009.
3 Tenth in the Asia Pacific Juniors (15-17yrs) in Thailand in May 2009.
4 Winner of the 121st Sri Lanark Ladies open amateur championship in 2008.
5 Second in the Punjab Ladies open amateur championship in 2008.
6 Fifth in the Ladies Amateur Merit List for India 2008-2009.
7 Gained the Most Improved Golfer of the Year for season 2008-2009.”
The only trouble is that Shreya is one of a record number of well over 200 girls, almost worldwide, who want to play in the Ladies Golf Union’s flagship tournament for girls who were under-18 years on January 1.
There is only room for 144 to play in the two stroke-play qualifying rounds of the championship so the LGU officials have taken the 144 players with the lowest handicaps from those that have entered.
The cut-off point is 3.5, which is also believed to be a record low for the tournament. Two decades, maybe even only 10 years ago, a player with six or seven of a handicap was guaranteed a place in the prestigious championship. Which underlines how the standard of player at the top-end of girls’ golf, certainly in Europe, has got better and better over the years.
Shreya Gei’s handicap earlier in the season was three which, if she had been able to maintain it, would have got her into the Girls’ British Open championship without a problem. But her handicap has gone up over 3.5, which is why she finds herself at No 11 in the waiting list.
As Susan Simpson, the LGU’s Head of Operations says, “There is usually substantial movement in the waiting list so those who have not gained a place in the field should not be too disappointed just yet. Please note that subsequent handicap changes do not alter a player’s place in this waiting list.”
There is another factor as far as Shreya is concerned that will not apply to majority of those on the waiting list. She lives in New Delhi, India and will need a visa to enter Britain if she is to play in the Girls’ British Open.
Obtaining a visa is not cheap and it can take time so Shreya’s parents will have had to make the decision to go for it and risk losing the outlay should she not come off the waiting list for the West Lancashire tournament.
Shreya has told the LGU: “I am extremely keen to play in the Girls’ British Open and I am hoping that the waiting list will clear for me to be included in the field too. As I have to travel all the way to England from India, I will need to obtain a visa.
Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk contacted Shreya to get some more background details. Here is her reply (in word-perfect English, it has to be said):
“I have been playing golf since the age of about 10. My parents introduced me to the game at that age as they were playing a little bit at that time.
“They had always wanted me to play some kind of sport but I had always refused as I didn’t like any of the ones I had tried, for example tennis, horse rising, basketball, etc.
“However, I developed a penchant for golf from the day I took my first lesson. I actually wanted to play a sport in which I didn’t have to run around and swat much. I guess golf was the closest fit!
“The game of golf became one of my best buddies since then and I think it will remain that way for a long time to come.
“My golfing credentials are:
1 Tied eight in the 107th Malaysian Ladies Amateur Championship in May, 2009.
2 Sixth in the Jakarta World Junior Championship (15-17yrs) in June, 2009.
3 Tenth in the Asia Pacific Juniors (15-17yrs) in Thailand in May 2009.
4 Winner of the 121st Sri Lanark Ladies open amateur championship in 2008.
5 Second in the Punjab Ladies open amateur championship in 2008.
6 Fifth in the Ladies Amateur Merit List for India 2008-2009.
7 Gained the Most Improved Golfer of the Year for season 2008-2009.”
+Entrants from outwith Europe whose handicaps are below 3.5 and are therefore in the field for the Girls' British Open Championship include:
Mary Larsh (+3), River Oaks GC, Edmond, Okalahoma, USA.
Connie Chen (+1),Waterkloof GC, South Africa.
Laetitia Beck (+1), Caesarea GC, Israel.
Charlotte Thomas (scr), Singapore Island Country Club.
Bertine Strauss (1), Rustenburg GC, South Africa.
Yushira Budhram (1), Country Club Johannesburg, South Africa.
Labels: Girls
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 2:17:00 PM
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