Three new caps in England's Home International team
- Thursday, 28 August 2008
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Hannah Barwood
The other new caps are Charlotte Ellis of Gloucestershire, who was the 2006 English mid-amateur champion, and Manchester teenager Rachel Connor, who helped England win the Girls’ Home Internationals and to claim a silver medal in the European girls’ team championship.
They will be joined by five established internationals: the Hampshire duo of Liz Bennett and Kerry Smith, Yorkshire’s Naomi Edwards, Staffordshire’s Rachel Jennings and Lancashire’s Florentyna Parker.
England have won the Home Internationals for the last three years – and 13 times in the last 16 editions of the competition.
Hannah Barwood, 18, from Knowle, is a long-standing England girl international and now moves on to the wider stage. She won the English championship in May and has since helped England win the Girls’ International Matches and take a silver medal in the European girls’ team championship.
Liz Bennett, 25, of Brokenhurst Manor, is a Curtis Cup player and earlier this season won on the Orange Blossom Tour in the USA. She is a former English strokeplay champion and qualified for this year’s Ricoh Women’s British Open. She will represent England in the World Amateur Team Championships in October.
Rachel Connor, 18, of Manchester, is another leading England girl international and, like Hannah Barwood, played a key role in the girls’ team successes this season. She has also previously won two top women’s scratch events.
Naomi Edwards, 25, of Ganton, is a former Curtis Cup player and English champion. She qualified for this year’s Women’s British Open. Naomi and Kerry Smith were members of the Great Britain team which won the 2007 Commonwealth Tournament.
Charlotte Ellis, 22, of Minchinhampton, was the 2006 English mid-amateur champion. She’s the south-west champion and led the pre-qualifiers for the Women’s British Open. She had a top ten finish in the English strokeplay championship and was a semi-finalist in the English championship.
Rachel Jennings, 20, of Izaak Walton, is the French lady junior champion and a past winner of the English girls’ championship. She was a Curtis Cup reserve and will represent England in the World Amateur Team Championships.
Florentyna Parker, 19, of Royal Birkdale, is a Curtis Cup player and was the runner-up in the English championship. She’s a past winner of the French lady junior championship, was runner-up in the 2007 British strokeplay and won last season’s English girls’ order of merit.
Kerry Smith, 36, of Waterlooville, is a former Curtis Cup player and English champion. Kerry and Florentyna Parker led the way for England in the recent British strokeplay championship and shared 10th place.
Neither English strokeplay champion Jodi Ewart (Catterick) nor Hannah Burke (Mid-Herts), who played against the pros in the English Ladies’ Open, were available for selection because of US college commitments.
The team will be captained by Devon’s Sally Watkins (Teignmouth).
