FORMAT: 18-hole stroke play
Welsh international Harriet Lockley equalled her best ever score as she topped Women’s Open Pre-Qualifying at The Buckinghamshire.
The 17-year-old from Burnham & Berrow finished one clear of Scottish professional Tara MacTaggart. Overall the top 15 have made it to Final Qualifying at North Berwick on August 1st where at least the top three will qualify for the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield (Aug 4-7).
Lockley, who was part of the Welsh team that reached the quarter-finals of the European Team Championship last week, overcame a bogey at the first to post a six-under 66.
She said: “It was better than my other six under (at Lily Brook) because it was longer. At Lily Brook we were playing off the ladies tees.
“I am really happy with how I am swinging it and my putting is clicking. It also helped that the greens were really fast. I like it like that.”
Lockley did not need her putter at the sixth, where she holed out from 85 yards for an eagle. That got her two under.
There would be a further eagle on the par five 11th, where she sunk one from 10 feet after an excellent four wood from the fairway.
Two further birdies at 13 and 15 left her one ahead of Hawick-based Mactaggart, who left the amateur ranks last year. Cornish pro Lauren Horsford was a shot further back in third.
Lockley will be joined at the North Berwick decider by her clubmate Patience Rhodes, who finished in a tie for sixth. Four other amateurs also made it through yesterday – The Isle of Man’s Ana Peel, Yorkshire’s Nicola Slater, Bedfordshire champion Luca Thompson and Durham’s Jessica Hall.