Mother and Daughter team triumph again
Royal Cromer members Tracey and Amelia Williamson, who plays for the England Golf girls’ squad, secured their fourth consecutive Mothers and Daughters’ victory at Royal Mid-Surrey.
Held at the venue since 1962, the 27-hole medal foursomes event is open to female pairings from across the UK and remains one of the country’s longest-running events for female golfers.
I chatted to Tracey about what makes her and her 16-year-old daughter such a great team, and why the tournament is special to them…
Congratulations on winning yet again! Were you pleased with the result?
We were very pleased, it’s always nice when we win. I think everyone expects us to win but it doesn’t always happen like that. Amelia will be going to university in America next year so the next one will be her last, but we’ll definitely try and make it five victories in a row anyway.
How was the competition?
It was similar to other years really. There were some newcomers, which is good as the club would like to encourage more people to play.
There were some good players, one pair gave us a run for our money in the morning but they couldn’t keep it up throughout the afternoon.
Why do you think you make such a good team?
Mainly because we play together so often so we know each other’s game really well. I think the mother and daughter bond also helps. I don’t get on at her about things, I just let her get on with it.
Do you have different strengths?
I’m probably a better pace putter from a long distance, but Amelia is a better with her long irons. She can hit the ball a long way which makes things a lot easier when we play together.
Have you learnt anything from Amelia?
She does quite a bit of work on her fitness, which I probably need to do as well. But I work so it’s difficult to fit it all in.
I’ve been playing a long time, and sometimes an old dog can’t learn new tricks! But I’ve been having coaching sessions in the winter and they do help. You can always learn something even if you’ve been playing for years.
Do you ever have any disagreements when you’re playing together?
We did during last year’s county final. But we had a chat at the end of the round and I explained that when she gets uptight I start to feel uptight too and then I can’t play to the best of my ability. So we try to keep things things casual and just focus on our own shots.
Why do you think this tournament is special?
It’s special because it’s the only one really that’s specifically for mother and daughters. It’s just nice to go down there and win it, and get a good score. Each year we try and set ourselves a lower score to aim for.
Is Amelia aiming to turn pro eventually?
She’ll do four years at university then decide if she wants to turn pro. She’s realistic and if she’s not good enough then she won’t go for it. But if she has four good years out there she’ll definitely go for it. She’s excited about university anyway.
Could you tell that Amelia was going to be a great golfer when she took it up?
No not at all! I often tell people that. She started when she was 10 and she was a nice little golfer, but I never guessed that she would be as good as she is. But she has put a lot of work into it.
Why do you like golf so much?
I’ve been playing county golf for a long time so I’ve made a lot of friends through it. You’re out there for several hours so it’s very social and there’s lots of time to make friends and meet people. If you’re playing another sport like tennis you don’t really have time to chat.
How can more women be encouraged to take up golf?
I think taster days are a good idea where people can just have a go. It’s not an easy sport to conquer. But as I say the friends you meet are the best bit and you’ll have such good fun. You just need to look beyond the driving range where you are struggling to hit the ball and remember that it does get better with time. Once you get the bug you just can’t leave it alone.
Will you be playing much over the summer?
Not really, I pretty much turn into a chauffeur for Amelia during the summer. That’s what I tell her anyway! So my game is on hold for a while. I turn 50 at the end of the year so I’m hoping to have a go at some of the senior stuff after that.
