FORMER Herts ladies champion Lucy Williams celebrated a world victory when she was one of the four members of the ladies golf team from Birmingham University who won the World Student Match Play Championship in Germany. The only ladies team taking part

FORMER Herts ladies champion Lucy Williams celebrated a world victory when she was one of the four members of the ladies golf team from Birmingham University who won the World Student Match Play Championship in Germany.

The only ladies' team taking part in a field of 26 contesting the championship, the four girls withstood the challenge of men's university teams not only from their own university, but also from around the world, including America, South Africa and Europe, for an incredible victory.

The girls led from the start, heading the stroke play qualifying by three strokes from Manchester.

In the four-match play singles semi-final against Warwick, the Birmingham girls won 3-1, Lucy winning her own match against their plus one top player 3&2.

They faced a German team from Nurnberg in the final, playing foursomes, Lucy and her Kent partner Charlotte Hope, winning 2&1, and their two colleagues winning by one hole.

The Birmingham boys' team, who finished 12th, caddied for the girls in the final, Lucy then made a dash to Kent for the Herts East Region victory last week, playing her part with six points.

Winner of the English mid-amateur title last year, Lucy next faces qualifying for the women's British Open and then plays in the Scottish under-21 championship at Nairn Dunbar.

HERTS Ladies, who finished runners-up to Yorkshire in the English Counties Championship finals last year, and again reached the finals as winners of the East Region, will this year face Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Gloucestershire and Surrey at Pleasington, Lancashire, from September 14-18. After playing in the East Region success at Stock Brook Manor, Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) is this week playing in Bled, Slovenia, having been selected as English champion for the England team in the European Ladies Team Championships, which started on Tuesday.

HERTS final winners Bishop's Stortford will represent the county in the inter-county finals of the Pearson Trophy at Wrotham Heath, Kent, on July 22.

In the semi-finals at Porters Park, Bishop's Stortford team beat Redbourn and in the final beat Hartsbourne, who had earlier beaten Brocket Hall.

TOM Haylock, of The Hertfordshire, will tee off in the Open Championship for the first time at Turnberry next Thursday.

The winner of the Herts Colts Championship three years ago, he now takes his place among the world's top players after claiming one of the four Open spots on offer in a field of over 90 playing on Monday and Tuesday at Western Gailes.

Former county player Tom, now a professional, opened with a round of 73 to put him under pressure, but he came back with a 67 over the par 69 course, his two under par 140 leaving him three shots off the lead, tied third.

His Herts colleagues who won through to the final qualifying rounds all failed to gain an Open place.

Graham Povey, from Brickendon Grange, the only amateur, who led the regional qualifiers at Abridge last week, had rounds of 77 74 at Glasgow Gailes, nine over par, tied 60th, while at the same venue former county champion Carl Duke tied 54th after two rounds of 75, for plus 8.

At Kilmarnock Barassie, Jan Jankowski (Potters Bar) shot 74 80, plus 9, tied 82nd.