THE Worcestershire's Lucy Walton lifted the Ludlow Ladies Scratch Bowl at the Shropshire golf club on a sunny day but in testing conditions.

Walton, 17, joined women and juniors from the surrounding counties to compete for the prestigious title.

The event, now in its third year, fills a huge void in the fixture list for women's golf as there are no ladies' scratch opens in the region.

Ludlow’s free-draining course was not only dry and in excellent condition but with superfast greens and a stiff breeze.

However, two-handicapper Walton, who despite this being only her second 18-hole round since a six-month injury lay-off, made light of the conditions by shooting a handicap-reducing round of 71 gross.

She lifted the trophy and got back to her pre-injury handicap of one.

The Malvern St James School pupil will be sitting her A-levels this summer in a bid to study sports science at university.

Taking second gross was Sophie Johnson from Telford with 75 and Bethany Round from Enville was third with 77.

Winner of the best nett prize was Georgia Pritchard from Beau Desert with 72 playing off six with nine-handicapper Hannah Golding of Brocton Hall second with 74.