SHANNON GOES DOWN FIGHTING IN BRITISH AS ONLY IRISH TRIO SURVIVE

 

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Shannon McWilliam, 17-year-old from Aboyne, the only Scot left with a chance of making the last 16, lost her second-round tie on the 18th green to Spain's Ainhoa Olarra as the British women's open amateur golf championship eliminated all the home hopes bar Ireland's Paula Grant, Olivia Mehaffey and Leona Maguire.

McWilliam won her first-round tie at the 19th against Ana Pelaez (Spain) and had a ding-dong tussle with Olarra.

The Aboyne player was one up after six holes, all square at the turn, and then one up after 12.

Olarra turned the tables to be one up after 15 holes and was still one up playing the 18th which she won to double her margin of victory.

It was a bad day for players selected to play for GB and I in the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe at Bogogno Golf Club, near Milan at the end of the month.

Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted) lost at the 19th in the second round to Anna Backman (Finland), 3 and 1 conqueror of Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) in the morning round.

Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest) also went down in the second round, beaten 4 and 3 by Leonie Harm (Germany).

India Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), who had scraped through at the 20th against Anglo-Scot Gemma Batty (Moffat) in the first round, lost by 2 and 1 to Alessandra Fanali (Italy).

Helen Holm Trophy winner and first qualifying round leader Linn Grant (Sweden), grand daughter of Inverness-born James Grant, who turned pro after winning the Scottish boys championship in the 10950s, lost by 5 and 4 to Germany's Anastasia Mickan.

Mickan went to reach the last 16 by beating another highly-rated Swede, Amana Linner, by one hole.

+SCROLL DOWN PAST THE RESULTS TO READ THE R and A SUMMARY OF THE DAY'S PLAY

BRITISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP


MATCH-PLAY at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club, SouthWales




ALL THE RESULTS

FIRST ROUND
FIRST QUARTER


P Grant (Lisburn, Ire) bt C Finne-Ipsen (Den) 4 and 2.
R Morris (Woodsome Hall) bt L Johansson (Swe) 4 and 3
O Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies) bt C Goadby (St Regulus) 4 and 3.
M Martin (Kanturk, Ire) bt A Klotz (Fra) 4 and 3.
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell, Ire) bt E H Zuniga (Spn) 5 and 4
P Neira Garcia (Spn) bt A Nobilio (Ita) 3 and 2.
B Wallin (Swe) bt I Wardle (Prestbury) 4 and 2.
E Moosman (Swi) bt C Salort (Fra) 1 hole.




SECOND QUARTER
A Mickan (Ger) bt L Grant (Swe) 5 and 4.
A Linner (Swe) bt C Ryan (Castletroy, Ire) 1 hole.
R Meekders (Ned) bt G Bjorgwinsdottir (Ice) 1 hole.
S Kouskova (Cze) bt C Ricolfi (Ita) 3 and 2.
O Winning (Rotherham) bt M Stark (Swe) 4 and 3.
M Wold (Nor) bt M Krolboll (Den) at 19th.
A Backman (Fin) bt L Whyte (St Regulus) 3 and 1.
A Hewson (Berkhamsted) bt J Engstrom (Swe) at 19th.




THIRD QUARTER


A Fanali (Ita) bt L Funfstuck (Ger) 3 and 2
I Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) bt G Batty (Moffat) at 20th
G Clews (Delamere Forest) bt S K Nielsen (Den) 3 and 2.
L Harm (Ger) bt A Belac (Slov) 4 and 3.
S McWilliam (Aboyne) bt A Pelaez (Spn) at 19th
A Olarra (Spn) bt M Finn (Swe) 2 and 1.
L T Hansen (Den) by C Borge (Nor) 2 and 1.
E Osborn (Swe) bt C Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 1 hole.


FOURTH  QUARTER

M Claisse (Fra) bt D Sverdloff (Orsett) 1 hole.
M P Sanmartin (Spn) bt D Weber (Ned) 1 hole.
L Strom (Swe) bt L Bagnoli (Ita) 2 and 1.
E Prior (Burhill) bt Z Bontan (Ned) 1 hole.
A Krauter (Ger) bt M Leander (Swe) at 20th.
K Lund (Nor) bt O Kline (Aust) 1 hole.
E Toy (Carolyn Bay) bt G Price (Bude and N Cornwall) 2 and 1.
S Resin (Nor) bt L Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 1 hole.

SECOND ROUND
UPPER HALF
P Grant bt Morris 4 and 3.
Mehaffey bt Martin 5 and 4.
Leona Maguire bt Garcia 7 and 6.
Wallin bt Moosman 3 and 2


Mickan bt Linner 1 hole.
Kouskova bt Meekers 2 and 1
Wold bt Winning 3 and 2
Backman bt Hewson at 19th


LOWER HALF
Fanali bt Clyburn 2 and 1
Harm bt Clews 2 holes
Olarra bt McWilliam 2 holes.
Hansen bt Esborn 3 and 2.
Sanmartin bt Claisse 1 hole
Strom bt Prior 2 holes
Leander bt Lund 1 hole.
Stina bt Toy 1 hole

ENGSTROM'S TITLE DEFENCE COMES TO AN END AT LADIES’ BRITISH OPEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

R AND A NEWS RELEASE

 Pyle and Kenfig, Wales: Julia Engstrom’s defence of the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship ended in defeat by Alice Hewson during the first stage of match play at Pyle and Kenfig today.

The Swedish youngster, who became the youngest ever winner of the championship aged 15 last year, was defeated by the England international on the first extra hole of a compelling contest in this morning’s first round.

Hewson found herself in a sudden death situation once again during her second round match-up against Anna Backman but came up short, losing on the first extra hole to the Finn.

Last year’s runner-up Dewi Weber also made an early exit from the championship, succumbing to a one hole loss against Marta Perez Sanmartin.  

Leona Maguire, who currently leads the women’s WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKING™, produced two strong performances to ease into tomorrow’s third round, the last 16.

The Irish Olympian, who recently won the Annika Award for the second time, beat Elena Hualde Zuniga 5 and 4 in the first round before moving up the gears to record an emphatic 7 and 6 win over Paula Neira Garcia to reach the next round.

Maguire’s compatriots Olivia Mehaffey and Paula Grant also paved a comfortable path to the third round of match play after producing excellent golf in windy conditions on the South Wales coast.

Mehaffey, who plays collegiate golf in the United States for Arizona State University, defeated Scotland’s Chloe Goadby 4 and 3, which was followed by a 5 and 4 win over her fellow countrywoman Mairead Martin.

Paula Grant, who led the qualifiers after two rounds of stroke play, continued her fine form this morning with a solid 4 and 2 victory against Denmark’s Cecilie Finne-Ipsen. England’s Rochelle Morris also lost out to the 2013 Irish Women’s Close Champion as she secured her place in the third round with a 4 and 3 win.

Grant will now play Mehaffey for a place in the quarter-finals with Maguire the likely player to be waiting for the winner in the round of the last eight.

Also progressing to the third round are Beatrice Wallin, Marthe Wold, Alessandra Fanali, Sara Kouskova and Leonie Harm after good wins this afternoon.

The third round and quarter final matches take place at Pyle & Kenfig tomorrow. Admission and parking is free.

Key Quotes

Leona Maguire

“I played really nice golf this morning, made some good birdies and carried it on into this afternoon’s round. I hit a lot of fairways and greens to give myself a lot of chances. Once you get into match play you can be a bit more aggressive and go after a few more pins.

“I’ll take each match as it comes. There’s a really strong field out here. I had a good performance today and we’ll take it from there once tomorrow’s round starts.”

Paula Grant

“I was two down through six holes in the morning’s match but I made a good comeback against Cecilie. I played really solid golf in the afternoon and made a lot more birdies. Overall, a pretty good day.

“The conditions were tough and the wind was going in the opposite direction to yesterday. You have to keep plugging away, keep hitting the fairways and hopefully hole some putts.

“I think I can do well here but I’ll take it one step at a time, one match at a time and see how things go. It’s nice to finish early and rest before tomorrow."

Olivia Mehaffey

“I had two really good wins and I played really solid out there today. The conditions got really tough this afternoon but I hit some really good shots to the fairways and greens. I grew up playing a lot of links golf so it’s nice to get back to my roots and play links golf again.

“With match play anything can happen. It’s links golf and you don’t know what the weather can throw at you. It’s anyone’s game really.”

TEAM AWARD (in conjunction with qualifying rounds)
282 Sweden.
284 Ireland.
288 Scotland (C Jaffrey, S McWilliam, H McCook), France.
291 England.
292 Netherlands.
293 Spain
294 Italy
295 Czech Republic
296 Denmark, Switzerland
302 Germany
303 Australia
306 Finland
324 Austria