Championships - Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship 2010
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23.06.2010
Sweden's Caroline Hedwall is top Seed for Match Play stages at Ganton
Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall, playing in the Ladies British open amateur championship for the last time, earned the No 1 seed position with a three-under-par total of 143 after adding a fine round of three-under 70 on another hot but slightly windier day at Ganton Golf Club, Yorkshire.The limit mark for the 64 qualifiers was 12-over-par 158 but there was room for eight of the 15 players players on that mark. For the first time in the championship’s history there was no play-off for the last places. A card countback eliminated seven of those who had totalled 158.
Hedwall, the 21-year-old European champion from Stockholm said she has left Oklahoma State University after two years, at the end of a brilliant season on the US women’s college circuit which she ended as winner of the NCAA women’s title.
“I’ve decided I am going to go to Qualifying School for the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA after helping Sweden defend the Espirito Santo Trophy world women’s amateur title in Argentina in October,” said Caroline, a 21-year-old twin whose sister Jacqueline is also playing at Ganton.
“I enjoyed my time in America but I think, at 21, the time has come for me to start thinking about about turning professional at the end of this amateur season.
She lost to Swedish compatriot Anna Nordvist – now a successful LPGA Tour player – in the 2008 final of this championship at North Berwick.
“I am playing really solid and I really should have had a score of 70 in the first round as well. I just didn’t the putts as I did today. I like the course. It’s a good test of golf.”
Hedwall birdied the first, ninth, 11th, 12th and 15th in halves of 37 (level par) and 33 (three under).
“The two bogeys I had today – the second and the seventh – were both three-putt greens. I also missed from 3ft for a birdie at the 14th “
Next best after the long-hitting Hedwall were overnight leader Giulia Molinaro from Italy and Canada’s Sara Juneau, both two shots adrift of the Swede on 145.
Molinaro, first-round leader with a 70, slipped back to a 75 with birdies at the third, seventh and 15th but bogeys at the first, eighth, 12th, 15th and 18th in halves of 37 and 38.
The Arizona State University player drove into the trees on the left at the 18th and had to play out backwards on to the fairways, finishing with a bogey 5.
“I played poorly today but I qualify for the match-play and that is what the first two days at this championship are all about,” said Giulia.
Juneau, also on 145, had the better second round of 70 – a five-shot improvement on the first round – and that gave her the second spot in the match-play draw ahead of the Italian.
Spain’s Camilla Hedberg and American Taylor Karle both totalled 146. Hedberg’s second-round 73, a repeat of her first round, gave her precedence in the draw over Karle’s 74 today.
Scotland’s Sally Watson and Canada’s Sue Kim, again playing in the same threesome, started the day in joint second place on 72. This time round, Sue edged ahead of her rival with a 75 for 147, one fewer than Sally who had a 76.
Kim birdied the third, seventh and 15th in halves of 38 (one over) and 37 (one over). She bogeyed the first, fourth, fifth, 11th and 12th.
Kim was joined on the 147 mark by Spain’s Anna Aresse whose second-round 72 put herahead of the Canadian.
Watson had only one birdie, at the long 15th. She bogeyed the fifth and seventh on an outward, two-over-par 37 and dropped two more shots, at the 11th and 18th, in coming home in 37.
The Scot was joined on the 148 mark by 16 year old Welsh international Amy Boulden (Maesdu), the first and only player to break 70 in the championship’s qualifying rounds.
Amy had birdies at the first, fourth, fifth, sixth, nith, 12th, 14th and 15th – eight in all – in halves of 33 (four under par) and 36.
“I got to six under par after 12 holes but then bogeyed the 13th, 16th and 17th,” said Boulden whose father Simon is the club pro at Maesdu.
“I prefer match-play to stroke-play so I’m really looking forward to the rest of the tournament.”
Scottish champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) booked her place among the 64 qualifiers for the match-play stages with a three-shot improvement between rounds, returning a 73 for 149.
“I have struck the ball well both days but it was difficult to judge which clubs to take in today’s swirling wind,” said Kelsey who made the right choices obviously in birdieing three in a row from the second hole.
English champion Hayley Davis (Ferndown) made it through with a 77 for 157.
Curtis Cup player and English girls champion Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) slipped from a 73 to an 80 for 153 but had several shots in hand of the cut-off mark.
Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, a student at Arizona State University, was beaten finalist by compatriot Azahara Munoz in this championship at Harlech last year, having beaten Anna Nordqvist in the final at Alwoodley a couple of years earlier.
Carlota had a 74 for 152, a total that easily qualified her for the match-play.
Two members of the 2010 GB and I Curtis Cup team – Hannah Barwood (Knowle) and Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies) – missed the cut. Barwood got close with an 82 for 159 but Danielle had too much ground to make up after a first-day 84 and her 77 gave her a total of 161.
Tara Davies (Holyhead), the Welsh champion for the past two years, was one of those eliminated on the countback at 158. She had returned a pair of 79s.
Another big-name non-qualifier was left-hander Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall), English champion last year. She had a disastrous second-round 88 for 166/
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), last year’s Scottish champion, was another although she improved by seven shots with a 76 to hit the 159 mark.
Scottish schoolgirls champion Julie Yang, a 15-year-old pupil at Loretto School, Musselburgh, was also eliminated on 159 with scores of 81 and 78, nowhere near the form that won her the Welsh women’s open amateur stroke-play title and also saw her just pipped for the German equivalent.
Spain won the team award by virtue of their best second round total with Sweden taking second place.
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