Mrs. Sally Hampson

Sally Hampson, chairman of the Ladies Scratch Trophy Committee recalls: "I remember one year, right at the start.
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Mrs Hampson, a past lady captain at Royal Birkdale and of Lancashire Ladies and past chairman of the English Ladies (now Womens) Golf Association in the north has been associated with the tournament since the start in the early 1980s.
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Sally Hampson can recall no more than about ten 36 hole scratch events for ladies now including the Formby Leveret. But proudly she regards the Royal Birkdale tournament as the premier event of its kind in the north.

The appeal is the prestige factor. Also the results count towards the EWGA Order of Merit. There is a top prize of £500 - the maximum allowed in the amateur game - and the honour of receiving the Red Rum Salver.

Mrs Hampson's grandfather owned the famous Grand National winner and the trophy was donated by Mrs Hampson and Mike Burns, treasurer of Royal Birkdale.
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Sally Hampson says: "We are looking forward to welcoming the 25th winner to add to a list of great golfers.

Sally Hampson - LancashireSally Hampson is the Hon. Secretary and Chairman of Selectors of the Lancashire Ladies County Golf Association.

Sally Hampson, chairperson of the English Ladies Golf Association in the NorthSALLY HAMPSON, a former captain of Lancashire Ladies, has become the new chairperson of the English Ladies Golf Association in the North.

Her appointment comes at a time when golf faces some of its greatest challenges.

The number of golf clubs in England with membership vacancies has now reached nearly 90 per cent, which represents almost 40,000 places and, of courses, in total, a huge loss in income.

It is premature to talk of a crisis or perhaps even a serious problem.But golf urgently needs more players in general and more young ladies in particular.

As it is, Sally Hampson, who visited many clubs as county captain and will renew those contacts now as a senior officer of Northern ELGA, reports: "Disappoint-ingly, there are many clubs without a single girl as a member."

The bright spots includes Lancashire and her own club, Royal Birkdale.She believes that Lancashire has more girls in golf clubs that any other county in England.Royal Birkdale has been particularly successfully in recruiting young ladies and now has about 20.

But she says: "Nationally, across England the number of vacancies in golf clubs is a worry and specifically getting more girls into golf is a significant problem, a challenge.But there are encouraging signs."

Mrs Hampson, who lives at Up Holland in West Lancashire, used to play badminton, captained her school during her swimming career and while she has now retired from water-skiing, she is still active on the snow slopes.

She also loves fell walking, in the Lake District, where she is also chief timekeeper for power boat events on Windermere.

But golf is her great sporting passion.She was aged eight when she joined Royal Birkdale, where her parents were members and her grandfather president, in 1966.She was lady captain in 1993 and has played in the club's Lancashire Ladies Handicap Shield teams.Her handicap has been as low as 10.

Traditionally the job of leading ELGA in the north, where there are more than 500 clubs, goes to the county hosting Northern Counties Week, the tournament where the winners meet the champions of other regions for the England title.

The six counties tournament in 2005 is at West Lancashire in June.Mrs Hampson has been Lancashire's nomination for the ELGA post.

The omens of success for Lancashire at West Lancashire are promising.Lancashire won the Northern Counties Match Week, at Northumberland, when she was county captain in 2002, qualifying for the national final and becoming England champions.

Also, she believes the county hosting the tournament can have an advantage and points to the success of Cheshire Ladies two years ago.