Diane Bailey

Diane Jane Bailey MBE (née Robb, also Frearson, born 31 August 1943)[1] was an English amateur golfer. She had considerable success as a junior winning the 1961 Girls Amateur Championship and the British girls stroke-play title in 1959 and 1961. She played in the 1962 Curtis Cup team before retiring from competitive golf. She made a return in the late 1960s and played in the 1972 Curtis Cup. Later she captained the team, in 1984, 1986 and 1988.

Diane Bailey
Personal information
Full nameDiane Jane Bailey
Born (1943-08-31) 31 August 1943
Wolverhampton, England
Sporting nationality England
Career
StatusAmateur

Golf career

In 1957, at the age of 14, Bailey played for England in the annual England–Scotland girls match at North Berwick and reached the quarter-finals of the following Girls Amateur Championship before losing to Ruth Porter.[2][3] In 1959 she won the British Girls' Stroke-play Championship at Whitecraigs, an under-21 event, by a stroke from Jean Letham.[4]

Bailey had an exceptional season in 1961. In April she reached the final of the French junior championship losing to Brigitte Varangot, three years her senior, in the final.[5] She reached the final of the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship at Carnoustie, losing 7&6 to Marley Spearman.[6] She had beaten Claudine Cros at the 19th hole in the semi-finals.[7] In August she won the British Girls' Stroke-play Championship for a second time, at Helensburgh, by four strokes from Ann Irvin.[8] Three weeks later she won the Girls Amateur Championship at Beaconsfield beating Jean Roberts 3&2 in the final.[9] In addition she made her debut for Great Britain & Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy and for England in the Women's Home Internationals.[10][11]

Bailey was selected for the 1962 Curtis Cup in Colorado.[12] The British lost heavily winning just one of the nine 36-hole matches. Bailey was the only British player to win a match, beating Judy Bell 8&7 in the singles.[13] In September 1962 she announced that she was retiring from international and tournament golf.[14]

Bailey made a return to regional events in 1966.[15] In 1968 she returned to national events and was selected for the Espirito Santo Trophy team in Australia.[1] She had some success in 1971 and 1972, In 1971 she reached the final of the Wills Women's Match Play, losing to Dinah Oxley and, with Alan Smith, won the Worplesdon Mixed Foursomes.[16][17] She also played in the Women's Home Internationals.[18] In early 1972 she won the Avia Foursomes in partnership with Belle Robertson.[19] In November 1971 she was selected for the 1972 Curtis Cup team.[20] She played with Belle Robertson in the foursomes, winning one match and halving the other, but lost to Lancy Smith in her only singles match.[21][22]

Bailey was the non-playing captain of the Curtis Cup team in 1984, 1986 and 1988, Great Britain & Ireland winning in 1986 and 1988.[1] She was president of the Ladies Golf Union from 2015 to 2017.[23]

Personal life

Bailey was only daughter of William and Doris Robb of Wolverhampton. She married Alastair Frearson in January 1962 and in 1962 was known as Diane Robb Frearson, although later simply Diane Frearson.[24] In 1975 she married John Bailey. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1988 New Year Honours for services to golf.[25]

Team appearances

References
  1. "Bailey, Mrs Diane Jane, MBE (formerly Frearson, nee Robb)". Women Golfers' Museum. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  2. "England win at North Berwick". The Glasgow Herald. 11 September 1957. p. 4.
  3. "Scots out of girls' event". The Glasgow Herald. 13 September 1957. p. 4.
  4. "Miss Robb wins youths' title". The Glasgow Herald. 14 August 1959. p. 9.
  5. "Miss Robb beaten". The Glasgow Herald. 8 April 1961. p. 5.
  6. Horne, Cyril (2 June 1961). "Mrs Spearman the new women's champion". The Glasgow Herald. p. 15.
  7. Horne, Cyril (1 June 1961). "Miss Robb meets Mrs Spearman in final". The Glasgow Herald. p. 13.
  8. "Girls' title for Miss Robb". The Glasgow Herald. 11 August 1961. p. 11.
  9. "Girls' title victory for Miss D. Robb". The Glasgow Herald. 2 September 1961. p. 5.
  10. "British Women's Victory". The Glasgow Herald. 19 October 1961. p. 12.
  11. Horne, Cyril (7 October 1961). "Two triple crowns for Scotland". The Glasgow Herald. p. 5.
  12. Wilson, Enid (5 June 1962). "Britain choose youngest team for Curtis Cup". The Daily Telegraph. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "United States retain Curtis Cup". The Glasgow Herald. 20 August 1962. p. 4.
  14. "Mrs Frearson retires". The Glasgow Herald. 9 September 1966. p. 13.
  15. "Mrs Frearson back as champion". The Daily Telegraph. 5 June 1962. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Miss Oxley wins". The Glasgow Herald. 24 July 1971. p. 4.
  17. "Worplesdon mixed foursomes". The Glasgow Herald. 4 October 1971. p. 5.
  18. "England retain women's title". The Glasgow Herald. 11 September 1971. p. 4.
  19. "Mrs Robertson wins by a stroke after splendid recovery". The Glasgow Herald. 17 March 1972. p. 4.
  20. Jacobs, Raymond (12 November 1971). "Mrs Robertson in Curtis Cup team". The Glasgow Herald. p. 4.
  21. Wilson, Enid (10 June 1972). "Kathryn Phillips Britain's only singles winner". The Daily Telegraph. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. Wilson, Enid (12 June 1972). "British girls pay dearly for short game failures". The Daily Telegraph. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. "Diane Bailey to be next LGU President". England Golf. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  24. "Wedding of girl golf champion". The Birmingham Post. 15 January 1962. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. "No. 51171". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1987. p. 11.
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