WILMSLOW’S Sybra Eardley will serve as Cheshire County Ladies Golf Association captain this year.

The honour arrives in a busy period for the county, 42 years after she first started playing the sport.

Sybra, a former Cheshire selector (2010-2013) and Wilmslow Golf Club lady captain (2015), said being asked to take on the role came as a complete surprise.

She added: “I follow in a long line of county captains from Wilmslow and I am very pleased to be county captain in the Wilmslow ladies’ 125th celebration year.”

Sybra’s appointment further puts Wilmslow Golf Club at the county forefront this year.

Two of five big events being staged by Cheshire in 2018 will be taking place at the Warford Lane venue in Mobberley, that’s the Cheshire Championships on May 5-7and the English Women’s Amateur Championships from July 17-19.

“We are having a busy year in Cheshire with all the usual junior, senior teams and Championships as well as all of the other competitions,” said Sybra.

“We are trying to get more clubs engaging with us, running many different kinds of competitions to suit all golfers of all ages and handicaps.”

With so much going on, Sybra is grateful to have lots of support around her.

She said: “I am really looking forward to my year as captain and I have a great team of ladies working with me to bring lots of golf to our members.”

It was as a teenager that her interest in golf took off.

“I started to play at Astbury Golf Club in 1976 at the age of 17 and achieved a single figure handicap in1979.

“I played for the Manchester and District Golfing Society which was for junior golfers under the age of 25, both boys and girls.

“I played in my first county event at Royal Liverpool in 1980 in the County Championship and did not do very well as I had never seen a links course before!

“The year after I entered the County Championships at Sandiway and got to the semi finals and was asked to play in the Cheshire A team that year. After that I played on and off for the Cheshire B team for many years.

“ I joined Wilmslow Golf Club in 1980 to get some low-handicap female competition and had some great years being part of some successful teams winning scratch leagues and being part of four Bell Cup winning teams.

“I also play a lot of golf at Royal St Davids and when I was semi-retired from work I played for Royal St Davids in the Welsh Team Championship and we were lucky enough to win it back in 2009.”

Sybra has a preferred golfing format.

“For me team golf is the best format and I have been lucky enough to be a part of some very good teams and forged some very good friendships from them,” she said.