Oxfordshire 2nd Team fall narrowly short in the sun at Harleyford

24 July, 2026

Our final Midlands South 2nd Team league fixture was played at a sunny Harleyford Golf Club in Buckinghamshire. It had been a little while since the squad was last together, so it was fantastic to see all the hard work put in with Head Coach Deana Rushworth still firmly at the forefront of everyone's minds. Mental resilience, teamwork, and a refusal to give up were present in abundance throughout the day.

In the morning foursomes, our opening pair of Vicky Turner (Oxford) and Tracy Roberts (Frilford Heath) proved too strong for their opponents, with the Oxfordshire duo securing an impressive 4&3 victory. Sadly, the second Buckinghamshire pair proved equally dominant, defeating Freya White (Burford) and Sue Barker (Tadmarton Heath) 5&3.

Sue and Freya talk tactics on the tee

In the final morning match, Lydia Avann (Tadmarton Heath) and Sarah Hillas (Henley) fought hard before narrowly losing 2&1. Luck wasn't entirely on our side over the front nine, a few great shots suffered harsh bounces on firm surfaces to end up out of position. On another day, those bounces fall our way!

Starting the afternoon singles 3–1 down, the team knew they needed to come out of the blocks fast. Vicky certainly set the tone at the top, closing out a solid 3&2 win. Freya, who continues to learn and adapt brilliantly, showed immense grit to bounce back from her morning loss, claiming a 3&2 victory by showcasing both her power and growing mental resolve down the closing stretch.

Sue ran into an opponent in scintillating form, falling 6&4 in the third singles match; sometimes you simply have to tip your hat to great golf. Lydia then brought home Oxfordshire’s third singles win with a fine 2&1 success in match four.

Lydia's happy with the win

The fifth match tipped in Oxfordshire’s favour along the back nine, but Tracy’s opponent managed to find another gear when it mattered most, pulling ahead to win 3&2. Finally, Sarah Hillas battled heroically down to the 17th hole in a bid to snatch a deciding point, ultimately falling 2&1.

The final scoreline stood at a agonisingly close 5–4 win for Buckinghamshire. We will meet Buckinghamshire again to play off for 3rd place (in Midlands South) at Rushden Golf Club on August 13th.

While defeat always hurts, there is a genuine belief within this squad that we are making huge strides forward and becoming a seriously competitive force.

Pam Melbourne, 2nd team Captain