Boulden leads Welsh charge at the Ash while Fryer makes history at Clyne

ASHBURNHAM hosts the Welsh Ladies Open Stroke-play Championship this weekend and hopes are high for a homegrown winner this time around.

Amy Boulden goes into the tournament with arguably Wales’s best chance of celebrating trophy success come Sunday evening while Becky Harries, the 2011 Welsh Ladies champion, is also in the mix.

Conwy’s Boulden, who will play for Great Britain & Ireland at this year’s Curtis Cup, is in fine form after winning the Helen Holm Scottish Ladies Open Stroke-play Championship last weekend.

Her three-round total of 215 was one better than France’s Perrine Delacour while Haverfordwest’s Harries finished in a tie for 10^th place.

With defending champion Charley Hull not back to defend her title in West Wales, Bargoed’s Lucy Gould must feel she can go one better than 12 months ago when she had to settle for second.

The draw for the first round has pitted Gould with Sarah-Jane Boyd of Truro and Annabel Dimmock of Wentworth, Boulden is first out tomorrow morning alongside Alexandra Peters (Notts Ladies) and Harries plays with Scottish duo Megan Briggs and Alyson McKechin.

Welsh internationals Katherine O’Connor and Katie Bradbury are also involved while Southerndown supply three players in the shape of Sophie Anderson, Nia Greville and Olwen Davies. Newport’s Monmouthshire Ladies champion Lauren Hillier is also one to look out for.

Gaynor Fryer has made history at Clyne by becoming the club’s first female captain, taking over from Lt Col Steve Jenkins.

The vastly experienced Fryer, a businesswoman and college tutor by trade, was unveiled as the club’s captain for 2012 at Clyne’s AGM having originally taken up golf back in 1978.

Determined to succeed, she worked hard at her game with regular lessons from club professional Eric Turner and at her peak got her handicap down to three.

Now playing off 11, the new skipper has played for the club at the Welsh Team Championship since 1981, was Ladies captain in 1984, won the Clyne Ladies Championship in 1983, 93 and 98 and has also taken on the captaincy duties for the Ladies first team for the last two decades.

She has done all of that while running a successful hairdressing business and teaching her area of expertise to students at Afan College and Swansea Council’s Training Centre.