It’s A Victory: Women Golfers Get Shield Event After 100 Years

By Gareth james

More than 100 years after the first Welsh golf Victory Shield, there will be a Women’s event – with entries now open to take part in this year’s competition.

Entries for the Wales Golf Women’s Victory Shield close on April 1st, knockout foursomes match play are open to women who are members of an affiliated club in Wales, all matches played over 18 holes off a scratch handicap.

The finals will be at Royal St. David’s Golf Club, Harlech, after regional qualifiers all around Wales.

Historically the separate men’s and ladies Golf Unions in Wales ran all the competitions they felt appropriate, the men starting in 1895 and the ladies in 1905. Since they merged in 2007 into what is now Wales Golf, those competitions have been gradually rationalised.

“This year we have introduced a Women’s Victory Shield. It will run exactly the same as the men’s version and at the same time,” said Wales Golf Competitions Manager Dan Fullager.

“Wales will be divided into four quarters on a geographical basis, the divisions being decided after entries have been received with the aim being to have similar numbers in each quarter.

“Clubs who reach the final four will go into an open draw for the finals at Royal St David’s.

“We review our portfolio of championships every year to ensure there is a full breadth of events catering for our Wales Golf vision – Everyone’s Game: for fun, for sport, for life.

“While the Women’s Team Championships is one of our oldest competitions, 14 years older than the Victory Shield, there was no foursomes match play event for women only.

TEAM NOMINATION

The following players have been nominated to play in this years Quadrangular Match in April.

Pob lwc pawb!#TimCymru #TeamWales pic.twitter.com/fNvvCHyq6I

— Wales Golf | Golff Cymru (@wales_golf) February 19, 2024

“We are looking forward to having a fantastic standard of entries from across Wales and we are excited to see this event grow. All details are on the Wales Golf website.”

The first Welsh golf competitions were the Men’s Welsh Amateur and Men’s Welsh Teams Championships in 1895, while the Women’s Welsh Amateur and Women’s Welsh Team Championships were started 10 years later in 1905.

The Victory Shield started after the First World War in 1919. Chester won in the first two years, before Glamorganshire and then this year’s hosts Royal St David’s claimed the title.

The race to become the first Women’s Victory Shield champions is now open. https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/10271042635837761721