Boultons win the PING Plate

Nottinghamshire mother and daughter Helen and Rachel Boulton scored a historic win when the Plate final of the PING women's fourball betterball championship was dramatically decided by a play-off.
Three pairs had tied with 45 points and had to return to the 18th hole of the Thonock Park course at PING's Gainsborough Golf Club for a sudden-death play-off. But Helen – a 20-handicapper - settled matters in style when she chipped in for a net birdie, appropriately using a Ping wedge.

"It's unbelievable," said Helen, from Springwater Golf Club. "It's crazy!" added Rachel, who was the 2015 Nottinghamshire county champion and helped her team to win last year's English County Finals.
Second and third places were decided on countback, with Jing and her partner, Heather Stiles, finishing as runners-up, ahead of Carole Morris and Jill Sparkes from Romsey Golf Club in Hampshire.

The Boultons have an excellent record in this championship, reaching the Plate final once before and coming fifth in last year's Grand Final. As the play-off was announced Rachel was counting the cost of a three-putt during regulation play. "I had a putt for an eagle on the sixth and I left it about 1ft away. I went to tap it in and missed! I thought 'oh my gosh' but I said to mum let's just keep going." They stuck to the task and when Helen had her big chance she had just one aim. "I just thought 'get it close.' That's what Rachel has been saying to me all day long." Her chip from the fringe started on target and stayed there, popping into the hole to applause.

Photo courtesy of Leaderboard Photography