Anna makes it a first for girls (From Penarth Times)

Anna makes it a first for girls

FOR the first time, a girl has won The Glamorganshire Golf Club's Most Improved Junior Golfer award.

Anna Carling, who was born and bred in Penarth and still lives in the town, has just turned 15 and attends the Welsh school in Barry.

She received her award from the club's most accomplished professional'product', Mark Mouland.

Mark, who also shone as a junior at the club - he won the British Boys Championship - has won professional titles all over the world and was back at The Glamorganshire to receive a presentation to mark his years of success. A plaque outlining his achievements is to be placed in the newly refurbished clubhouse.

Anna, who was a 21 handicapper at the start of the year, won five club competitions and became the first girl to play for the junior team and played four matches for the club's Ladies first team, winning three of them.

She was very successful outside the club, too. She was second in the South Wales Girls' competition at Carmarthen in April and won the final event at Whitchurch in September.

Anna qualified for the Welsh Ladies' Golf Union regional final at Whitchurch and then for the national final at Llandrindod Wells.

She is currently in the Welsh Girls Under 18 training squad and has been selected to go for a week's warm-weather practice/coaching in Spain in February.

Anna is the daughter of Philip Carling, chairman of the Sports Council for Wales.