Le Cheminant wins on the 21st

BEKI LE CHEMINANT held her nerve to win the first ever all junior final of the Lindsay Trophy.

Held amid sea mist at L'Ancresse yesterday morning, the match was a real cracker as three extra holes were required to determine the outcome between the 14-year-old Le Cheminant and Aimee Ponte, who is 12.

And it was last year's runner-up Le Cheminant who ultimately shone through in the high-pressure situation.

The Lindsay is the island women's championship bronze division competition for higher handicaps.

'I was worried, but I tried to make sure I played better and I kept fighting and fighting,' said Le Cheminant afterwards.

'I was confident as I've played under pressure quite a few times. I just wanted to make sure I was one step ahead. It's nice to win it. I'm very pleased and very tired.'

Le Cheminant showed her class and greater experience as she was four up after 10.

Ponte has been playing golf since the age of six but has started playing competitively only this year. She started off nervously and with Bobby Eggo as her caddy, the St Sampson's schoolgirl began to get back into it as she took the next three holes.

Although small, she certainly packed a punch from the tee as Le Cheminant struggled to keep up with her drives.

With the 14th halved, Ponte went onto win the 15th and 16th putting herself one up and in the driving seat.

But an error on the 17th cost her dearly as she landed in a bunker and could not get out with her first effort.

Le Cheminant capitalised on this to claim the hole and level.

With all to play for on the 18th, Le Cheminant's tee shot ended wide and left and in the rough, while Ponte's landed on the back of the green.

But Le Cheminant pulled out possibly the shot of the round, chipping onto the green to put the pressure on

her opponent. Ponte missed her long putt and the honours ended up shared again.

A 19th hole was now required and then a 20th and then a 21st.

But unfortunately one of them had to give and it happened when Ponte sliced her drive from the third tee and it ended up out of bounds. She duffed her re-take and eventually she conceded the hole and the final to Le Cheminant.

It was a sad way to end the match but credit to Ponte, she was full of beans afterwards.

'For my first year – I did pretty well,' she said.

'Beki's one of my friends and she's a really good player. She played really well and she deserved it.

'I'm absolutely thrilled and the quality of play that they've played today has been magnificent,' said RGGC lady captain Jean Whalley.

The new Lindsay Trophy champion, schoolgirl Beki Le Cheminant.