Upper Sixth golfer Bel came from five shots off the lead to win the Portuguese women’s amateur championship in a play-off.
Playing in her first competitive event of the year, Bel beat fellow England player Annabell Fuller on the first play-off hole – the 18th – on the difficult West Cliffs course, and adds this title to the English women’s and English girls’ open championships of 2017.
“It’s amazing to win,” she said. “This golf course throws everything at you, it is so tough. I had no idea what anyone else was scoring but I just tried to keep my score as low as possible,”
In the final round, during which strong winds added to the challenge of the course, Wardle posted five-over 77 and declared herself: “100% happy. I was five-over through nine and heading in to the tougher nine, so I was so pleased to come back in level par.”
It put Bel into her first ever play-off situation. “I was very, very nervous but had my friend Jess on the bag, she was calming me down and we went through the strategy I had in place and just played the hole.”
Bel said: “I have done a lot of work over the winter with my coach, Richard at Bramhall Golf Club. My swing was feeling great coming into the week and I just wanted to get back competing again. I have done all the practice, I just wanted to get out there.”
