Bronte Law began her defence of the English women’s amateur championship with a stunning nine-under par 63 at Hunstanton Golf Club, Norfolk.
World number three Bronte Law began her defence of the English women’s amateur championship with a stunning nine-under par 63 today at Hunstanton Golf Club.
It’s her lowest tournament round by one, it included 11 birdies, six of them in a row, and a back nine of 29 – and is the lowest ever-score by a woman on these Norfolk links.
Conditions at Hunstanton were perfect for scoring, with barely any breeze until the late afternoon and a host of other players also took full advantage.
Girl international Sammy Fuller (Roehampton) returned an excellent 66, while international Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted), Sammie Giles (St Mellion) and Emily Slater (Woodhall Spa) also scored 70 – and a further six players beat par
Law, 20, (Image © Leaderboard Photography) actually made a slow start to her round, with pars on the first two holes and a double bogey on the third where her drive finished in the face of a bunker.
“I wasn’t too worried because I hadn’t hit that bad a shot,” she said. “I just steadied myself and made a birdie on the next hole and another on the sixth to get back to level. From there I was giving myself really good chances and I made some really easy birdies in that I hit my shots really close, which made it nice.”
“I’m really happy with how I played today. It’s nice to get off to a quick start,” added Law, who is just back from the European women’s team championships – and is about to set off for the European individual at the end of the week.
Law, from Bramhall in Cheshire, made six birdies in a row from the sixth, then had three in a row from the 13th and added another on the 17th.
Sammy Fuller (Roehampton) was another happy player – and very pleased that her father persuaded her not to withdraw from this event. The 16-year-old is just back from the European girls’ team championships and said: “I had a bit of a disappointing finish and I was tired and didn’t want to play this tournament – but my dad persuaded me!”
Now, she describes herself as “really happy” after returning her best-ever tournament score and her second tournament round in the 60s.
She started with a birdie on the first, where she holed a 35-footer, and finished by holing a 10ft putt for birdie on the last. She had only one bogey in her round, on the 17th.
Fuller has been a prominent golfer since she won the English U13 championship by six shots as a 12-year-old and has gone on to represent both England and GB&I. This season she’s enjoying being fit after a year of being hampered by a wrist injury and has already tied for the Irish girls’ title.
Among the other low scorers were Sammie Giles (St Mellion) a past winner of the English mid-amateur title, who shrugged off a poor scoring spell and returned to form with two-under par 70. She quickly found the measure of the greens, one-putting seven times to repeatedly save par on her way to the turn. On the way home she capitalised on her putting skills with birdies on 11, 14 – where she holed a 50-footer – and 15. “It’s only one round, but it’s a good start,” she said.
The Norfolk challenge is led by past champion Joanne Herd (Royal Norwich) and Tiffany Mills (Ryston Park) who both scored 76 and are currently sharing 31st place.
The championship course measures 6195 yards and has a par of 72, compared to the usual ladies’ course, which is measures 6021 yards, is par 75 – and has a course record of 73.
After today’s second round the field will be cut to the leading 32 players and ties who will play the final 36 holes on Thursday.
