Who will you be routing for at Royal Troon?
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Royal Troon welcomes the world’s finest female golfers for the AIG Women’s Open this week...
And calling who might win is a very tough job.
Now, although we admire golfers from all over the world and try to remain unbiased, deep down a little part of us is always hoping for a winner from the UK or Ireland.
But while the Americans will certainly be bringing their A-game (Danielle Kang has won two back-to-back tournaments since the LPGA Tour restarted and Stacy Lewis just lifted the trophy at the Ladies Scottish Open), those from closer to home are also going to be fighting hard for the top spot.
We last saw a local player lift the trophy when Georgia Hall won at Royal Lytham in 2018 and it's more than likely she'll be in contention to do it again.
So here are five hopefuls to keep your eye on this week.
Gemma Dryburgh (Sco)
Aberdeen born, Buckinghamshire-based Gemma Dryburgh has had a storming start to the year, with two wins on the Rose Ladies Series at The Buckinghamshire and Royal St. George's. The 27-year-old then had a tough decision to make: continue the momentum with the Order of Merit in her sights or abandon the Series to join up with the LPGA in America. Despite pleas for her to stay with Justin Rose’s series in the UK, Dryburgh opted to head for America and make her big impression. She certainly managed this and she was also awarded the honours of hitting the opening tee shot at the Ladies Scottish Open. She'll definitely be looking to cement her reputation as a formidable force at Royal Troon.
Georgia Hall (Eng)
At just 24, Georgia Hall’s is the fourth English woman to ever win a Major championship and her thrilling victory at the 2018 Ricoh Women’s British Open saw her recognised with an MBE in 2019. The Bournemouth player heads into this year’s Women’s British Open off the back of two back-to-back wins on the Rose Ladies Series tour at Bearwood Lakes and The Shire, and we're all routing for her to add another Major win to her CV this week
Alice Hewson (Eng)
22-year-old Alice Hewson is a golfer making serious waves in her rookie year. Hewson won the Grand Final of the Rose Ladies Series after a wildfire abandoned play, proving she can hold her own among the likes of Charley Hull and Georgia Hall. She belongs to Berkhamsted Golf Club in leafy Hertfordshire and she honed her craft at South Carolina’s Clemson University. Before the lockdown kicked in, Hewson was able to sneak in a stellar result on her Ladies European Tour debut, winning in style at the South African Open. After making the cut and finishing with a respectable T39 at the Ladies Scottish Open, she will a force to be reckoned with at the second event back on the combined LET and LPGA.
Bronte Law (Eng)
Stockport’s Bronte Law will be hoping to remind us all of her immense talents this week. The 25-year-old already boasts an LPGA Tour win on her slate, having won the 2019 Pure Silk Championship in Williamsburg, Virginia. In the same year she represented a victorious Europe in the Solheim Cup and played in 2018’s International Crown. But Bronte will be frustrated with her dip in form in 2020. Following cuts at the Women’s Australian Open, Drive On Championship, Marathon Classic and most recently the Ladies Scottish Open, Law will be pulling out all the stops to reassert herself as a leading figure on the LPGA Tour.
Leona Maguire (Ire)
Leona Maguire made her LPGA Tour debut at the start of the year at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rico in Florida, and she didn’t take long to earn her first top five finish, claiming fourth place at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in February. Maguire was only one shot off the lead, and the result sent her surging up world rankings. The 25-year-old hails from County Cavan in Ireland, and forst caught the world's attention when she won last year’s Windsor Golf Classic on the Symetra Classic tour. Given her promising start to LPGA life back in February and her T18 finish at the Ladies Scottish Open, all eyes will be on her this week.
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