Ally and Elaine fly flag for the region
Jun 17 2009 by Tim Taylor, The Journal
WITH Chris Paisley having a rare off-day, it was left to Alnmouth’s Ally Hansen and Elaine Elliott, from the Whitley Bay club, to fly the flag for the North East at national level yesterday.
Stocksfield member Paisley the world’s number 16 amateur, started the British Amateur at Formby on Monday content with a par 72.
But an eight-over 80 yesterday left him on 152 and well short of qualifying for the matchplay stages, which start today.
On Wednesday of last week, Paisley, a finalist in last year’s English Amateur, was disappointed Northumberland had to contest the Big Six at Seascale without him. “I had to cry off a fortnight before,” he said. “When I finished my four years at college in America, I had a lot to sort out, such as selling my car and sorting out my flat. That meant I knew the best I could do was to fly back from the States and then go straight into the tournament, which meant I could not have given of my best.”
In a Big Six tournament won by Cumbria for the first time, Durham County finished fourth and Northumberland fifth.
Meanwhile in Sussex yesterday, Hansen and Elliott moved into contention for the England Seniors Strokeplay Championship at Royal Ashdown Forest.
