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Louise Duncan became the first Scot to claim the title for 24 years when she beat Icelandic teenager Jóhanna Lea Lúðvíksdóttir, 9 and 8, in the final of the 118th Women’s Amateur Championship at Kilmarnock (Barassie) in Troon, Scotland.
Lúðvíksdóttir had come from three down with five holes to play in her semi-final against another Scot, Shannon McWilliam, but she was no match for Stirling University student Duncan, who outhit her off the tee and handled the vagaries of the links breeze much better than her more inexperienced opponent.
The 21-year-old from nearby West Kilbride had to battle all the way to the 19th before beating fellow Scottish international Hannah Darling in their gripping semi-final, but it was all very different the following morning.
With Stirling University head performance coach Dean Robertson on her bag, Duncan raced into a five-hole lead at lunch before extending her advantage to six up when she eagled out of a bunker on the 19th.
By that stage the writing was on the wall for 18-year-old Lúðvíksdóttir and she also lost the 22nd, 25th and 27th holes before the rampant Duncan closed out the most lopsided final in the championship’s history with a par on the 28th hole.
The winner becomes the first Scot to lift the trophy since Alison Rose beat Mhairi McKay at Cruden Bay in 1977 and her success earns her a spot in the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the US Women’s Open.
“It’s definitely the best week of my life and to do it at home in Ayrshire is brilliant. I couldn’t have written it better."
Louise Duncan
It also must surely make her a dead cert for a place in the GB&I team to face the USA in this summer’s Curtis Cup at Conwy, Wales.
“It’s mental,” Duncan said moments after holing the winning putt. “I’m still not sure I believe it. It’s ridiculous. I’ve got no words. I’m over the moon.
“It’s definitely the best week of my life and to do it at home in Ayrshire is brilliant. I couldn’t have written it better.
“I definitely wasn’t confident coming into the week,” she added. “My first goal was to make the match-play stage and see what happened from there.”
Lúðvíksdóttir had been in inspired form in the earlier rounds, beating 2019 winner Emily Toy in the third round on her way to the semi-final showdown against McWilliam. But after winning the opening hole of the final with a birdie, a series of errant shots started to cost her.
“I feel fine, just very tired and very happy for Louise. She played very well,” said the Icelander who will start her college career at Northern Illinois in the autumn. “I’m very happy with myself and proud that I was able to go this far. I think my mindset was different (today). I didn’t put as much pressure as I usually do on myself. I just had fun.”
Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the field this year was made up almost exclusively of British and Irish players but that did not stop a second Icelander, Ragnhildur Kristinsdóttir, topping the leaderboard after the 36-hole, stroke-play qualifier.
The 23-year-old Kristinsdóttir opened with a 1-over-par 74 but fired eight birdies in a 7- under 66 to finish on 6-under 140, two shots ahead of England’s Amy Taylor.
“I got the putter rolling pretty quickly,” said the Eastern Kentucky University student after carding the low round of the week. “I hit the ball pretty good and managed to keep myself out of trouble but all props to the putter today.
“I shot a 63 two weeks back so I had quite a lot of confidence coming in, but it’s about performing on the bigger stage. Links golf is completely different to the States but this is what I’m used to at home. The States is OK but in my mind links golf is the way golf is meant to be played.”
The medallist’s presence in the championship was short-lived because the following morning she lost, 4 and 3, in the first round to Ireland’s Áine Donegan.
Colin Callander