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“My mum’s got MS and she’s done so well this week to walk round three rounds.”
Proud dad Steve, who caddied for Brewerton at last year’s event and also when she finished tied for third place in 2005, conceded that her new bagman Fred Collins had brought her better luck.
“She held herself together so well today,” said Steve, 55. “There were a couple of bad holes but I knew she’d recover fantastically; even on the last hole – awesome. To win is just fantastic – it’s all she’s ever wanted to do. Awesome.”
Brewerton moves up one place to sixth on the New Star Money List and jumps from ninth to fourth place in The European Solheim Cup Team qualification list. The top five players following the Wales Ladies Championship in August will face the United States team at Halmstad Golfklubb in September.
“That’s massive. Obviously now it’s getting to a really crucial stage. We’ve got the Evian, the British, Swedish and Wales still left for other people still to get in but I’ve given myself a really good chance now,” said Brewerton. “If I can come into some good form for those four tournaments that would be amazing but again I’ve got to try so hard not to think about that because it’s just so exciting to be in with a chance.”
Stupples, who was playing in her first tournament since giving birth 10 weeks ago, was pleased with her efforts and said: “This tournament is really two weeks early for me from where I wanted to be fitness wise. I’m so happy. Tied for second – what more could I ask for really?
“I started to really run out of steam once I’d made the turn. It was not so much physically as the mentally that the steam ran out.
“When it came to the crunch, a lack of competition and having plodded my way around a golf course for the last month or so with nothing riding on it took its toll. Really I exceeded any kind of expectations I had for the week and I can only be really happy with what I’ve done.
“It really was the first 18 holes I’d played since November on the first day – I didn’t even get to play 18 holes in the pro-am. And doing it three consecutive days was my concern – and it showed in all fairness.Becky played really solidly today – she hit the ball great. And she deserves her first win. She’s a very popular winner.”
England’s Laura Davies and France’s Gwladys Nocera tied for fifth place on three-under-par after they both carded 71s. Davies’ was a mixed bag with a double and two bogeys on the front nine and a birdie and two eagles on the back nine. She was out in 40 and back in 31.
