Navy bags historic double victory at the Inter Services Golf Championships
The Royal Navy has recorded a historic double victory at the Inter Services Golf Championships with success for both the men's and the women's teams.
The Navy women last won the title in 2009 and after beating the RAF earlier in this year's competition, they needed just two-and-a-half points from their singles match to be champions.
The Army put up a strong fight but the Navy women stood firm and took the title with a resounding 4-0.
Royal Navy Women's Team Captain, Lieutenant Commander Lauren Hulston, credited the team's "grit and determination" for the points that won them the title.
She said: "We've worked hard for 17 or 18 years since the men have won it, similar sort of time for the ladies, maybe 15, and to do the double - it has never been done before.
"But the squads were up for it and the tenacity and the grit and determination to actually bring the points home, it's just phenomenal."
The Navy men last won the title in 2004, but this year they had a more complicated road to victory.
They lost to the Army men the day before, and with the RAF men beating the Army on day one of the tournament, the Navy had to take as many wins as they could to avoid a three-way playoff and to claim an unlikely title.
Warrant Officer (Class 2) Freddie Lomas, Royal Navy Men's Team Captain, said: "It has been wonderful, the boys have done great, the team spirit that we have got among ourselves is wonderful.
"Last year we ran pretty close, and we just kept that team spirit up and everyone was chomping at the bit to get back and get involved in the Inter Services again, so I think the team ethos and spirit has been wonderful."
Keeping a close eye on the action was President of the UK Armed Forces Golf Association, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key, who was unable to contain his delight after the historic double Navy win.
He said: "It has been a fabulous three days of competition, to see the very best of the golfers from across all three services.
"Clearly there's a lot of me that's delighted to see this first-ever double win for the Navy, but what I really want to do is congratulate everybody who played here.
"The skill levels, the camaraderie, the respect between the players, but also the mutual support for each other has been fantastic and really it has been a great celebration of golf in the services, we couldn't have asked for better."
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