Wales’ Emily James defeated the highest-ranked player in the field to progress to the last 32 of the Girls’ Amateur Championship at Carnoustie today.
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play / 6 rounds of matchplay
In glorious conditions over the famous links on Tayside, James shone in the opening round of matchplay stage to secure a 4&3 win over Sweden’s Meja Ortengren, placed 22nd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®).
The 17-year-old from Royal Lytham certainly took her opportunity to oust Ortengren, who upset the professionals on the Ladies European Tour Access Series back in May when she won the PGA Championship Trelleborg. James, who recently reached the semi-finals of the Welsh Women’s Amateur, lost the opening hole before surging to victory.
“I knew that I was going to have to play well and Meja birdied the first,” said James, who now meets Spain’s Andrea Revuelta for a place in the last 16 tomorrow morning. “But I played really well from there on. I went bogey free so that’s nice.
“This is my first time playing here. It’s a great course, tough, but really nice. I’ve played alright this season but I’ve not really had the finishes that I’ve wanted so I’m glad that I’m finally starting to come into a bit of form for this week.”
It’s a notable week in Angus with the matchplay stages of the Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur Championship being played simultaneously at one venue for the first time. The Boys also play the first round of their matchplay ties tomorrow, starting at 10am.
The leading stroke play qualifier, Paula Martin Sampedro from Spain, impressed too in becoming the first player into the last 32. The reigning Spanish Amateur Champion, 16, triumphed 5&3 against Canada’s Elise Liu.
While there was home disappointment as Scotland’s Grace Crawford, the R&A Girls’ U-16s champion, bowed out 4&3 to Adeliina Virtanen from Finland, Lottie Woad (Farnham), Maggie Whitehead (Close House) and Amelia Wan (Sherwood Forest) were among the English players to progress. Woad, who finished second in stroke play qualifying, came through by two holes against Cloe Amion Villarino from Spain.
Woad said: “It was definitely playing a lot easier and shorter today. I had a lot more wedges into greens. I had to adjust a few of my shots off the tee but it was definitely easier on some holes than yesterday in the afternoon wind.
“I was two down through eight and then I got a few birdies, got to one up and then back to all square. I went one up on 17, thought that might do it, and then managed to birdie the last. It was quite tight. Quite a stressful match.”
For all the scores click here