A GREAT Sutton golfer is celebrating the biggest win of her highly promising career.

Laura Jones, 17, has lifted the Leveret Trophy at Formby Ladies Golf Club.

She defeated some of the best talent in the ladies amateur game, including Curtis Cup player Naomi Edwards, former under 15 England champion Hannah Barwood and a host of international representatives from across Britain, with excellent rounds of 75 and 74.
The fitness work Laura has been doing certainly paid dividends as she finished with a run of pars to clinch victory by one from Edwards.
Laura, who is attached to Royal Liverpool, said: 'The last few holes are always tough in a 36-hole event but I've been working hard in the gym over the winter and it made a big dif ference.'

After a hectic schedule last year, the student took a break from the game and the Formby win was her first big competition of the year.
'I was sick of golf last October because I'd played so much so I took a break and it's made a big difference,' she said.
'I've played a few club and county matches but that was about it.'

Since late last season, Laura's handicap has come tumbling down from four to 1.6. Her eagerness to get as low as possible is the driving force behind the reduction.

'After I double-bogeyed the opening hole of the afternoon, I was more bothered about my handicap than winning,' she explained. 'After the first, I only dropped one more shot.

'I couldn't believe it when they told me I'd won. I was in the room where they were counting the scores and the scorer asked me to shut the door. I thought I was going to be disqualified for something but they wanted to tell me that I had won.'

The teen, who has been working part-time in Ellesmere Port's Sainsbury's store to help save up for a scholarship to USA in August, can't wait to cross the Atlantic for her sports science course at Oklahoma City University, where she will play for the golf team.
'I am really excited about going,' said Laura. 'I speak to the coach every week and some of the girls on the team are already e-mailing me.'
Apart from missing home life when she does make the trip, Laura will also have to adjust to life on the course without her dad, Dave, as caddy.

She said: 'It's a big bonus having my dad caddying. A couple of years ago it wasn't really working but we sat and discussed the issues and we've been getting on great ever since.

'He knows my game better than anybody else.'

Following on from her Leveret success, Laura just missed out on a remarkable treble at the Cheshire County Junior Championship. Having previously won the event in 2005 and 2006, she narrowly lost to Mere's Charlotte Wild by two shots at Portal Premier Golf Club in Tarporley, near Chester.