Championships - Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship 2009
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11.06.2009
Leona (14) is a wonder in Wales with 10 under par double win
Fourteen-year-old twin Leona Maguire, the youngest player ever to compete in the match-play stages of a Ladies British open amateur championship, was certainly not overawed by the occasion or the opposition on a gloriously sunny day at the Royal St David’s Golf Club links on the Northwest Wales coastline at Harlech.The Slieve Russell youngster was a grand total of 10 under par in winning by 5 and 4 over Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham) in the morning and by 6 and 4 in the afternoon when she beat the French star, Lucie Andre, winner of the Spanish women’s open amateur title and runner-up in the “Portuguese” earlier this season.
Leona, winner of the Helen Holm Scottish women’s stroke-play at Troon in April and the French Under-21 teitle before that, made a terrific start from which Andre never recovered.
The County Cavan youngster was four up after only five holes and well on her way to a place in the last 16 of the championship.
“I putted well today,” was Leona’s understatement of the week. She had qualified for the match-play 45th out of 64 but twin Lisa, the Irish women’s champion this year – Leona held the title last year – did not beat the cut.
Leona will now play Sian James (Bristol & Clifton), winner of the R&A Bursars’ women’s title at St Andrews earlier this year. Sian dismissed last year’s beaten semi-finalist, Jacqueline Hedwall from Sweden at the 19th in the second round.
Jacqueline’s twin, Caroline, beaten in the final at North Berwick 12 months ago, has made it through to the third round. She had five birdies and was four under par in winning by 6 and 4 over Stephanie Kirchmayr (Germany) in the second round.
Caroline will nbow play Hannah Barwood (Knowle), last year’s English champion and a one-hole winner over Rachel Jennings (Izaak Walton)..
British stroke play champion Roseanne Niven (Crieff), who was the only British semi-finalist last year, lost by 8 and 6 to Lauren Taylor (Woburn) in the second round after staging a grandstand finish to survive her first round tie by one hole against Nikki Foster (Pleasington).
Danielle McVeigh (Royal County Down) came up with possibly the best figures of the day in beating Valentine Derrey from France by 3 and 1.
Danielle had two eagles and four birdies, producing them at just the right time to tip the balance in her favour. Valentine had been one up after 12 holes, McVeigh having herself been three up after eightk, only to lost four holes in a row from the ninth.
“I played well but I have to pay credit to my caddie Niamh Kitching (also an Ireland international). She not only helped me select the right clubs, she was an inspiration at my elbow all the time,” said six-footer Danielle who now plays top seed Carlota Ciganda from Spain.
The European champion beat Sally Watson (Elie & Earlsferry) by 3 and 2 in the second round with two-under-par figures.
Sally birdied the 12th to be one up but then her Spani9sh opponent won the 13th with a par, the 14th with a birdie 2 and the 15th with an eagle 3 to surge two holes up. A par at the 16th was enough to take Carlota through to the last 16.
Ciganda’s compatriot Azahara Munoz, the No 2 seed, lived dangerously in the morning before winning at the 20th against Welsh cap Katherine O’Connor who had been two up with two to play.
In the second round, Azahara, making her last appearance in the championship before she turns pro, was two up at the turn on 15-year-old Alexandra Peters (Notts
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