British Women's Matchplay (Original LET Tourney)
First played: 1979
Last played: 1991
The only multiple champion was Mickey Walker, who won in 1980 and 1984. Walker went on to be Team Europe's captain in each of the first four Solheim Cups.
Twice a golfer who lost in the championship match came back to win the tournament the following year. Jane Connachan lost the title match to Walker in 1984, then won the tournament in 1985. Marie-Laure de Taya lost in 1987, then won the championship match in 1988. De Taya's 1987 loss was to Trish Johnson, for whom it was the third of her 19 career LET victories.
Dale Reid, second all-time on the LET's career wins list, lost in the championship match the last two years the tournament was played.
Also known as: The tournament had multiple changes in title sponsors. It debuted as the Lambert & Butler British Women's Matchplay Championship. Other names include Lorne Stewart Matchplay Championship, 415/Vantage WPGA Matchplay Championship and Woolmark Ladies' Matchplay Championship.
Winners of the British Women's Matchplay Championship
Scores from the championship match each year:
1979 — Jane Panter def. Muriel Thomson, 2-up
1980 — Mickey Walker def. Karstin Ehrnlund, 3 and 1
1981 — Jenny Lee Smith def. Beverly Lewis, 3 and 2
1982 — No tournament
1983 — No tournament
1984 — Mickey Walker def. Jane Connachan, 2 and 1
1985 — Jane Connachan def. Debbie Dowling, 1-up
1986 — No tournament
1987 — Trish Johnson def. Marie-Laure de Taya, 4 and 2
1988 — Marie-Laure de Taya def. Alison Nicholas, 4 and 2
1989 — Dennise Hutton def. Maureen Madill, 2-up
1990 — Florence Descampe def. Dale Reid, 2 and 1
1991 — Federica Dassu def. Dale Reid, 5 and 4
Golf courses: The tournament was played at several courses in England from 1979-87, most commonly Moor Park Golf Club in Hertfordshire. Sudbury Golf Club in London and Bramhall Golf Club in Manchester were also visited. Although the tournament is most-commonly remembered as the British Women's Matchplay, it left Britain following the 1987 tournament and was played in Spain and Italy thereafter. Barcelona Golf Club and Club de Campo Villa de Madrid were two courses in Spain where it was played.
