THORNBURY Golf Centre’s Gail Howells has spoken of her delight after triumphing in a national competition at St Andrews.

The 60-year-old became the UK Public Courses Championships (UKPCC) Ladies’ champion (gross) when scoring 44 stableford points to secure victory in the final of the amateur event on the Eden Course at the Home of Golf in Scotland.

True to tradition, the trophy was a claret jug.

Reflecting on her biggest golfing achievement so far, Howells said: “It’s pretty amazing. I didn’t think I had a chance.

“It was a real honour to go to St Andrews and to come back with a prize was the icing on the cake.

“I’d never been there before and the whole experience was really quite something.

“I was very fortunate the day before when a friend offered to give me a practice round on the course. I had a really good round and on the Sunday I got the same stableford score.”

Howells has been playing golf for “a long time”, but was never a member of a club and did not take it seriously until she joined her home town club five years ago, which has seen her reduce her handicap from 28 to 13.

Now ladies vice-captain and set to become captain in November, she reached the final after getting through two qualifying rounds – a club competition and then a regional round where the top two progressed, both held at Thornbury.

The competition was only open to proprietary and pay-and-play clubs and 100 golfers teed up for the national finals at one of the world’s most famous venues.

Up against 26 other ladies in the gross competition, Howells’ victory ended the unbeaten run of Sandra Combstock, who is based at Hoebridge Golf Centre in Woking, a BGL Golf public pay-and-play facility like Thornbury.

Combstock has won the title in three consecutive years, since 2011, but was narrowly edged out by the golfer travelling more than 420 miles from Thornbury.

Richard Dakin, Thornbury Golf Centre general manager, said: “Gail is a tremendous ambassador for Thornbury and on behalf of all the staff and members, I’d like to congratulate her on an outstanding victory against stern opposition.

“There is a reciprocal offer in place between BGL Golf venues and, if Sandra would like a rematch, she and any other Hoebridge golfers are more than welcome here.”

Howells’ victory means she will receive automatic qualification for the final at St Andrews next year.