A TEENAGE golfer was the toast of Yelverton Golf Club this week when she proved she was simply the best in England.

Laura Eastwood from Horrabridge was victorious at the English Girls' Championship at Fairhaven Golf Club in Lancashire. Laura won through after two rounds of medal play and four rounds of match play and met Natalie Haywood from Yorkshire in the final.

Torrential overnight rain led to a 30-minute delay at the start.

'The weather was terrible — it rained pretty much the whole time,' said Laura.

The course was also not the easiest: 'You had to keep it straight. There was loads of trouble and bunkers.'

Three up after nine, she lost the 10th and 15th and halved the 16th and 17th. A par on the 18th hole won the championship for Laura, who said the win was 'brilliant'.

'It's my first big championship win,' she said.

Former Tavistock College pupil Laura, 18, began playing golf when she was 12.

She practises for four to six hours, six days a week and has been competing in major championships for around four years, hoping to turn professional eventually.

Tim McSherry, the professional at Yelverton Golf Club, said he was 'ecstatic' about Laura's win.

'It's tremendous news. We were looking for her to do well nationally one day.'

Locally, Laura has been Devon Girls' Champion for the last four years and South West Girls' Champion for two years.

In adult competition, she was runner-up in the county championships last year.

'Our hope now is to get her handicap down to scratch next year and for her to do better in adult competitions,' Mr McSherry said.

He explained there was a whole team helping Laura — a psychologist, fitness instructor and her parents as well as himself.

After playing at the British Girls' Championships in Cheshire this week Laura is due to travel to Dublin for the home internationals at the weekend — for which her win has qualified her.