THE joy of text helped to underscore memorable national service for York golfer Carolyn Kirk.

The five-handicapper, who lives barely a testing iron shot from York Golf Club, where she has been a member for many years, finished a rousing runner-up in the English Ladies Seniors matchplay championship.

And she revealed that her bid to take the prestigious crown at her first attempt was sustained over the two days of concentrated matchplay by a series of text messages from her friends at the Strensall-based club.

York lady captain Dawn Clegg and the club's tournament professional Kirsty Taylor both tapped out text messages of encouragement.

Carolyn initially capped tenth place in the strokeplay qualifying competition to topple Midlands-based opponent Angela Dawson 6 and 4 in the first matchplay tie at Hayling Island GC in Hampshire.

Carolyn, who this year also took up membership of Ganton GC from out of which she played in the Seniors event, then dispatched former international Ros Page (Dorset) 2 and 1 in the quarter-final before then going to the second extra hole to account for Yorkshire veterans' team-mate Hilary Smyth from Pannal GC in Harrogate in the semi-final.

Carolyn's reward was a place in the final against leading qualifier Geraldine Bray (Littlestone). It was nip and tuck for the first three-quarters of the exchange until Carolyn found herself two down after loose shots at the 14th and 15th holes. The next two holes were halved to result in a narrow 2 and 1 defeat.

But the experience was lapped up eagerly by Carolyn.

She said: "It was one of the most exciting golfing experiences of my life and it was encouraging to get so many text messages from the ladies at York. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was really pleased with the way it went."

Introduced to the game as a youngster by her father, the late Jack Dyer, Carolyn added: "I prefer matchplay to strokeplay. I seem to be a bit more careful in strokeplay but in matchplay I can hit the ball and enjoy that bit of freedom it allows."

KEEPING up with the Jones girl is likely to be a major achievement after the start to the season made by The Oaks GC's Lysa Jones.

The club's female professional, who works with former European tour ace Graham Walker at the Oaks' Golf Academy, got the season off to a flier.

She fended off a host of top players to win the Womens' Professional Golfers' Association's Glenmuir championship at Kedlestone Park in the Peak District, where her two-under-par total of 71 was two clear of her closest challenger.

Upcoming for Lysa, a former holder of the Lady Golfer of the Year title, is to head a team from The Oaks in a Pro-Am at Brough GC, the first woman professional to do so. And she will also be the only woman professional competing in The Oaks' Pro-Am on Monday, May 9.

Before linking up with The Oaks, Lysa finished third in the WPGA order of merit and qualified for the 2002 British Open. She is a specialist coach in the Young Masters and Ladies Masters training initiatives.

FRANK Rogers won Allerthorpe Park's April mid-week medal with a nett 68, three shots ahead of Ian Main and Sion Thompson, who each had the lowest gross of 80.

The division two prize went to Keith Bell with a nett 66. He finished four clear of Alan Collingwood. Third and fourth placed Mike Whiting and Terry Wood had the lowest gross score of 89.

The team of Yousef Grey, Michael Varley and Sue Greaves-Moore won the Mixed Spring Trophy, a stableford yellow peril competition for mixed teams, with 82 points on count-back.

GANTON GC professional Gary Brown is on course to defend the Lombard Trophy, Europe's biggest pro-am competition.

Club member Roger Middleton, a 54-year-old farmer, won Ganton's qualifier and now links up with Brown for the regional final at Sand Moor GC on May 31 for the chance to win through to the Grand Final in Portugal in September.

Brown, Ganton's professional for the last 15 years, won the Grand Final last year with 18-year-old amateur Michael Adamson. and would love a repeat in the sun.

MARTIN Stevens, a 16-handicapper at Malton and Norton GC, notched his first hole in one at the club's par-three 169-yard 17th hole during a friendly two-ball.

Updated: 10:29 Saturday, April 30, 2005