Golf: Michelle Black and Lisa Duffy are American Golf Ladies Champions

Michelle Black and Lisa Duffy crowned national American Golf Ladies Champions

Rochdale golfers Michelle Black and Lisa Duffy are cracking open the champagne after being crowned national American Golf Ladies Champions.

The pair, both members at Rochdale Golf Club, took on qualifiers from all over the UK and Ireland across three days of golf before winning the match-play final four and three from Dublin’s Orla McGuiness and Kay Farrell.

Black and Duffy now progress to the Heritage Resorts Tournament of Champions in Mauritius this October where they will take on the winners of five other American Golf Championships.

The Rochdale pairing played well all through the competition, heading into the semi finals in second place where they had a real tussle with Berkshire pairing Kathryn Naylor and Suzie Hedges, only taking the win after three extra play-off holes.

The final brought them together with McGuiness and Farrell and set up what was eventually the most emphatic victory of finals day. With the win in sight Black and Duffy did not let up and pushed through for top spot.

Duffy said: “I can not say we have played our best golf in the final but we dug deep and scrapped. We are good scrappers.“

Black confirmed that assessment by adding: “There were some shots I played that I thought ‘oh no’ and there were some shots that Lisa played that I thought the same, but we did play some very good shots in between. It is amazing what a difference the cameras and the pressure of the event makes, but it has been a wonderful experience and American Golf have been amazing.”

With the national title in the bag, thoughts have turned to the Heritage Resorts Tournament of Champions, something that Black and Duffy had in the back of their minds for weeks. Duffy said: “We had the week in Mauritius pencilled in just in case, I can not believe that we get to put it in pen now.”

All of the Championship finals will be shown on Sky Sports across October and November.

The American Golf Events series is a part of American Golf’s drive to get more people out playing golf more often.