Elin Esborn produced a fine round of 70 in the searing heat of Southport to finish as leading qualifier for the match play stage of the 115th Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship.
Elin Esborn produced a fine round of 70 in the searing heat of Southport to finish as leading qualifier for the match play stage of the 115th Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship at Hillside.
The Swede was joined at the top on one-under-par by Esther Henseleit and Elodie Chapelet but will take the honours on countback.
Commenting on her qualifying victories, Esborn said, "I feel like the competition restarts tomorrow. It’s going to be fun to play match play...I have played in this event the last two years, so I am kind of experienced now. I like that you get a new opportunity at every hole in match play and I think it’s exciting to try and beat someone or try not to get beat!"
"I don’t play a lot of links golf so that first of all a big thing. It’s a great event. To get into the Ricoh Women British Open would be incredible."
144 elite women’s amateur golfers from 24 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific arrived at the Southport course on Monday to take part in the first stage of the Championship which sees each player compete in two rounds of 18 hole stroke play. The 64 lowest scores over the 36 progress to the match play stage.
Esborn, who attends the University of Florida in the United States, came into the event on the back of two top-five finishes on the college golf circuit. The 21-year-old was on a roll after carding six birdies after 13 holes. At six-under-par for the day, she ran into trouble at the par-5 17th to sign for a triple-bogey 8 and followed that with another bogey on the final hole. It was enough to see her lead the pack with no one making a move in the afternoon.
Henseleit, 39th in the World Amateur Golf RankingTM, relied on her first round score of 70 to keep her near the top as stroke play qualifying reached its conclusion. The German, who recorded a top five finish at the Spanish Ladies Amateur Championship in March, made four bogeys and three birdies for a one-over-par 73 and a combined 36-hole score of 143.
A stunning eagle at the 11th hole was the highlight of Chapelet’s second round of 75. The French golfer, like Henseleit, struggled to recapture the form she displayed on Tuesday when recorded a four-under-par 68.
Two players celebrated holes-in-one; Romy Meekers of the Netherlands supplied the championship’s first at the 10th hole, which was followed up by England’s Hannah Screen on the 4th later in the afternoon.
With an aggregate score of 290, Germany won the international team award, which is traditionally presented after the stroke play qualifying rounds.
The cut for the top 64 players fell at ten-under-par. The match play stage gets underway tomorrow at Hillside. For tee times, scoring and news from the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship visit www.RandA.org.
The winner receives exemptions into the 2018 Ricoh Women's British Open, the 2018 Evian Championship, the 2019 US Women's Open and the 2019 Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship.
Admission to the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship continues until Saturday, June 30 and is free for spectactors.
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