History Made As Trilby Tour Crowns First Ever Female Champion

The Trilby Tour has crowned its first ever female winner after a dramatic finish at Dundonald Links on Monday, September 25, to wrap up an action-packed season of amateur golf.

Karen Beattie, a member of John O’Gaunt Golf Club in Bedfordshire, looked to be settling for second place before a nett eagle at the final hole earned a historic last-gasp victory.

The impressive finish drew Beattie level on Stableford points with the clubhouse leader, Hull-based junior golfer Harry Mukerjea – and Beattie’s triumph was decided by countback thanks to a stellar back nine.

Bringing the curtain down on the Trilby Tour’s second season under new operators Darwin Escapes, Dundonald Links proved a stern test for a field that also included defending champion Andrew Corssen. Last year marked the first time in Trilby Tour history that men and women competed together.

Across three categories (Women’s, Men’s Division 1 and Men’s Division 2), 43 hopefuls from across the UK took on Kyle Phillips’ dramatic links course. The Ayrshire venue had already played host to two prestigious events this year: Final Qualifying for the 151st Open Championship and the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open presented by Trust Golf.

Sponsoring the Trilby Tour for 2023, golf trolley manufacturer Motocaddy and apparel brand Glenmuir offered a range of prizes to the best finishers in each division, as well as two nearest-the-pin prizes.

The final – like all three qualifying events - was streamed for free online by broadcaster Live Sports Now, allowing friends, family and fans to follow the action like never before all the way to that nail-biting finish in the shadow of Dundonald’s new clubhouse.

Speaking to the crowd after receiving her trophy, Beattie said: “The course was amazing. Thank you to the Trilby Tour for letting us all come and play, especially the women. Dundonald Links and all the staff have been fantastic.”

Ashley Pheasant, head of golf at Darwin Escapes, said: “It’s always thrilling to see a final like this come right down to the wire, which is exactly the kind of drama Dundonald Links is built for."

“Huge congratulations to Karen for a well-deserved victory, and to Harry [Mukerjea] for matching the winning points total as a junior player. We feel that this was the best Trilby Tour yet and are already thinking about how to make it even better next time.”

Attention now turns to next year’s Trilby Tour, with an official schedule to be announced in due course. Beattie has earned exemption to play in next year’s final.