VICKY Thomas capped a very successful month when she won the Senior Ladies' British Open Amateur title at the Pyle and Kenfig Club near Porthcawl.

After round one she was in fourth place, one shot behind the leaders, but enjoyed a storming second round of 74.

She said: "I could have burned it up out there if I had only been putting well. "

She led the 41 final qualifiers by three shots.

The third round was played in trickier conditions and a round of 82 was sufficient to win the title by three shots from Ros Adams of England, with Felicity Coulter, also of England, four strokes back in third.

At the beginning of the month Thomas won the Welsh Senior Ladies' Championships at Rhuddlan when, with a two- round total of 153, she took the title by two strokes from Jane Rees of Hendon, with Janet Dolman, Rushcliffe, and Ann Lewis of Royal St David's sharing third spot with scores of 157.

In between these two events she travelled to Ireland in a bid to defend her Irish title but, despite an eagle on the 18th, she finished in third place, three shots behind winner Alison Murdoch of Canada and one behind Phil O'Gorman of Ireland.

Enthusiasm

Thomas has had a long and glittering golf career where she has won domestic, national and international fame but her enthusiasm for success continues and long may it last.

On the domestic level, in a recent stableford competition, when there were two cups on offer, the Coracle Cup for division one golfers was won by Eirian Evans with 36 points, winning on countback from Paul O'Callaghan, with Steffan Jenkins on 35.

The Cotton Cup for the higher handicap players was won by Nigel Elsom with 38 points.

Second was Howard Davies with 37 and third was Cliff Cleaton with 36.

The seniors' section continued their busy season with a betterball competition for the Dave Aggett Cup. The winners on countback were Fred Cook and Dafydd Williams with 40 points from Alan Evans and Alun Rees.

Stuart Barclay and David James took third on countback from Mike Ashley-Jones and Glyn Knight with 38. In inter-club matches the section had two draws at Ashburnham and Haverfordwest.

The seniors' away day to Builth Wells marked the start of the late summer sunshine and Keith Howells won with 39 points.

Second was the in-form Simon Barrett with 38 and third Peter Ashley-Jones with 36.

In the ladies' section's Coracle Shield, a greensome foursome competition, the winners were Sue Saunders and Anne Jones with 38 points on countback from Shan Lewis and Brenda Nolan. Third were Ann Richards and Sheila Neate (34).