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Nine-year-old Charley is new England sensation
For all Warwickshire Ladies - from age 9-90 - this is news of a very young winner in the National Ladies Championships. Nine-year-old Charley Hull is England's latest golfing sensation after she swept away the opposition to win a national championship. Charley, from Kettering Golf Club in Northamptonshire, tamed gale force winds and then triumphed in a sudden death play-off to win the Grand Final of the 2005 Health Perception LGU Championship at Turnberry.

The 26-handicapper - who has already been talent-spotted by the English Ladies' Golf Association is a member of the 'Emerging England Birdies Midlands West 2 squad'. She is the youngest competitor ever to take part in the competition which attracted an original entry of 24,000 ladies from over 1270 clubs in Great Britain and Ireland.

Charley first swung a golf club when she was two, she's been encouraged in her golf by her father, and she?s been picked for one of ELGA's Emerging England Birdies Squads, which are designed to nurture young talent.

"I am so excited to win, I can?t believe it," Charley said after her stunning victory on Turnberry's Ailsa championship course. The tiny player ignored driving rain and winds gusting between 35 and 45 miles per hour to score 28 stableford points and earn herself a place in a play-off against 46 year old Janice Cloran from Alkrington, Manchester. Charley won at the second extra hole.

Charley received her trophy from the managing director of sponsors Health Perception: the Olympic Gold Medallist, David Wilkie.

ELGA's squads are part of the association?s Sport England, lottery-funded World Class training programme.

Clare Tyler - ELGA Press Office on 2005-09-27