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Angela Bonallack

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Angela Bonallack
Personal information
Full nameAngela Ward, Lady Bonallack
Born(1937-04-07)7 April 1937
Birchington-on-Sea, Kent, England
Died1 July 2022(2022-07-01) (aged 85)
Sporting nationality England
SpouseMichael Bonallack
Career
StatusAmateur

Angela, Lady Bonallack (née Ward; 7 April 1937 – 1 July 2022)[1] was an English amateur golfer. She was twice a finalist in the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship and won the English Women's Amateur Championship in 1958 and 1963. She played in six successive Curtis Cup matches from 1956 to 1966. She was married to Michael Bonallack.

Golf career

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In 1953 Bonallack played for England in the England–Scotland girls match at Woodhall Spa and reached the final of the Girls Amateur Championship, losing 3&2 to Susan Hill.[2][3] In 1955 she played in a number of European events, winning the German and Swedish championship and losing to Jeanne Bisgood in the final of the Norwegian championship.[4] On her return she won the Girls Amateur Championship at Beaconsfield, beating Alison Gardner 5&4 in the final.[5]

After a series of trials Bonallack was selected to play in the 1956 Curtis Cup match at her home club, Prince's.[6] She wasn't selected for the foursomes matches on the opening day but won her singles match on the final day, beating Mary Ann Downey. Her win was one of four singles wins that gave Great Britain & Ireland a narrow victory.[7] The following week she reached the final of French championship, losing narrowly to Wiffi Smith.[8] She reached the semi-finals of Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship, losing to Mary Patton Janssen.[9] In August 1956 she won the inaugural Scandinavian championship in Denmark.[10] In 1957 she won the Portuguese championship.[1]

Bonallack reached the semi-final of the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship for a second time in 1958, losing to Jessie Valentine.[11] Later she twice reached the final of the event, losing narrowly to Marley Spearman in 1962 and then to Carol Semple in 1974.[12][13] She reached the final of the English Women's Amateur Championship four times in six years from 1958 to 1963. She won twice, beating Bridget Jackson in the final in 1958 and Liz Chadwick in 1963.[14][15] She lost in the 1960 final to Margaret Nichol and to Jean Roberts in 1962.[16] She reached the final again in 1974, losing to Mary Everard.[17] Bonallack had considerable success in the Astor Prince's Trophy, an early 72-hole stroke play event played at Prince's in the 1960s. She won the event in 1962 and 1968 and was runner-up four times.[18][19] She was runner-up behind Ann Irvin in the 1970 Hovis International at Liphook and was a runner-up in the 1976 Newmark International at Woodhall Spa, behind Jenny Lee-Smith.[20]

Playing with Janette Robertson, Bonallack was a joint winner of the inaugural Kayser Bondor Foursomes in 1958.[21] She was runner-up in the event in 1960, playing with Elizabeth Price.[22] She was runner-up in the 1966 Avia Foursomes, playing with her sister Shirley Ward, an event she later won in 1976 playing with her sister-in-law Sally Barber.[23][24] Playing with her husband Michael Bonallack she won the 1958 Worplesdon Mixed Foursomes.[25]

Bonallack played in six successive Curtis Cup matches from 1956 to 1966.[1] After winning in 1956 the Great Britain and Ireland team tied the 1958 match in America, retaining the cup. Bonallack won her foursomes match, playing with Elizabeth Price, and halved her match in the singles against Barbara McIntire.[26][27] The United States regained the cup in 1960 with Bonallack winning her foursomes match, playing again with Elizabeth Price, but losing in the singles.[28][29] The British lost heavily in the 1962 match in Colorado, winning just one of the nine 36-hole matches. Bonallack lost both her matches.[30] The 1964 Curtis Cup at Royal Porthcawl was the first to have 18-hole matches.[31] She played with Marley Spearman in both sets of the foursomes matches, winning both times. However she lost both her singles matches. The contest was much closer than that in 1962 with the teams level at the start of the final round of singles matches.[32][33] Her final Curtis Cup appearance was in 1966 in Hot Springs, Virginia. She lost her first three matches but beat Jean Ashley in the final round of singles matches.[34][35] In the six contests, she won six matches, lost eight and halved one.

In 2015, Bonallack became the first woman to take part in a match as a member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews; specifically, she was the first woman to play in the club's annual match against the Links Trust.[36][37]

Personal life and death

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Bonallack was born in Birchington-on-Sea, Kent in 1937, the daughter of Harry and Audrey Ward. Harry was a property developer and was later the Mayor of Margate.[37] She married golfer Michael Bonallack in February 1958.[38] They had four children born between 1959 and 1967.[37] Michael Bonallack was knighted in the 1998 Birthday Honours and she became Lady Bonallack.[39] She died on 1 July 2022, at the age of 85.[37][40]

Team appearances

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Bonallack, Mrs Angela (nee Ward)". Women Golfers' Museum. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  2. ^ "England beat Scotland in girls' golf". The Glasgow Herald. 9 September 1953. p. 9.
  3. ^ "Miss Hill girls' champion". The Glasgow Herald. 12 September 1953. p. 9.
  4. ^ "Miss Ward takes Swedish title". The Observer. 21 August 1955. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Miss Ward champion". The Glasgow Herald. 10 September 1955. p. 9.
  6. ^ "Half of British women's team under 22". The Glasgow Herald. 29 March 1956. p. 4.
  7. ^ "Britain win Curtis Cup through singles superiority". The Glasgow Herald. 11 June 1956. p. 4.
  8. ^ "Miss Ward loses at 36th hole". The Daily Telegraph. 18 June 1956. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "First all-American final of championship". The Glasgow Herald. 29 June 1956. p. 4.
  10. ^ "Scandinavian titles". The Glasgow Herald. 27 August 1956. p. 9.
  11. ^ "Mrs Valentine in final for fifth time". The Glasgow Herald. 26 June 1958. p. 4.
  12. ^ Horne, Cyril (28 September 1962). "Exciting finish to women's final". The Glasgow Herald. p. 6.
  13. ^ "Maureen Walker chosen for Curtis Cup team". The Glasgow Herald. 17 June 1974. p. 3.
  14. ^ "Mrs Bonallack English champion". The Glasgow Herald. 4 October 1958. p. 7.
  15. ^ "Bonallack family's fine double". The Glasgow Herald. 1 June 1963. p. 8.
  16. ^ "Past Winners". England Golf. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  17. ^ Wilson, Enid (27 May 1972). "Miss Everard triumphs in final". The Daily Telegraph. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Wilson, Enid (16 July 1962). "Mrs. Bonallack races away". The Daily Telegraph. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Wilson, Enid (19 August 1968). "Mrs. Bonallack regains trophy by 10 strokes". The Daily Telegraph. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Miss Irvin holds off challenge". The Glasgow Herald. 5 June 1970. p. 6.
  21. ^ "Tie in Kayser Bondor event". The Glasgow Herald. 21 March 1958. p. 4.
  22. ^ "Easy win for French pair". The Glasgow Herald. 25 March 1960. p. 13.
  23. ^ "French pair's Avia win". The Glasgow Herald. 18 March 1966. p. 8.
  24. ^ "Sally and Angela scrape home". The Glasgow Herald. 19 March 1976. p. 25.
  25. ^ "Foursomes for Bonallacks". The Glasgow Herald. 17 October 1958. p. 4.
  26. ^ "Britain wins foursomes". The Glasgow Herald. 9 August 1958. p. 7.
  27. ^ "Curtis Cup retained by Britain". The Glasgow Herald. 11 August 1958. p. 8.
  28. ^ "Britain lose Curtis Cup foursomes". The Glasgow Herald. 21 May 1960. p. 12.
  29. ^ "Americans regain Curtis Cup". The Glasgow Herald. 23 May 1960. p. 8.
  30. ^ "United States retain Curtis Cup". The Glasgow Herald. 20 August 1962. p. 4.
  31. ^ "Miss Lawrence only Scot". The Glasgow Herald. 13 June 1964. p. 5.
  32. ^ Jacobs, Raymond (12 September 1964). "Britain and U.S.A. all square". The Glasgow Herald. p. 5.
  33. ^ Jacobs, Raymond (14 September 1964). "British women lose great match". The Glasgow Herald. p. 4.
  34. ^ "Americans set to keep Curtis Cup". The Glasgow Herald. 30 July 1966. p. 5.
  35. ^ "Americans retain Curtis Cup". The Glasgow Herald. 1 August 1966. p. 10.
  36. ^ Donnelly, Brian (12 May 2015). "First female takes part in golf match as R&A member". The Herald. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  37. ^ a b c d "Lady Bonallack – Leading amateur golfer and one of the first women to be elected a member of the Royal & Ancient club at St Andrews". The Times. 19 July 2022. p. 35. Retrieved 3 August 2022 – via Newsbank.
  38. ^ "Tributes Paid to Lady Angela Bonallack". The R&A. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  39. ^ "Sports stars share honours". BBC News. 13 June 1998. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  40. ^ Mair, Lewine (2 July 2022). "Lady Angela Bonallack Dies At 85". Global Golf Post. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
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