Four days after a battle to emerge from the stroke-play stages of the 119th Women’s Amateur Championship, England’s Jess Baker defeated Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist, 4 and 3, in the match-play final to complete the biggest win of her career.
The 19-year-old from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who studies at the University of Central Florida, celebrated with her father, Steve, who had caddied all week, her mother, Louise, and family dog Gunner (who had also walked the course) at Hunstanton Golf Club in Norfolk, England.
It was a remarkable success for a player ranked 518th in the world and earned her a start in this year’s AIG Women’s Open and Evian Championship, plus next year’s U.S. Women’s Open and Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Reminded of those bonus prizes immediately after victory, she responded with an endearing: “Oh, crikey!”
And yet, after opening the championship with a 3-over-par 76 and limping to the turn in 1-over during the second stroke-play round, Baker faced any chance of ultimate triumph as seemingly non-existent, never mind remote. Digging deep, she responded with three back-nine birdies and holed a 25-foot par putt on the 18th green to confirm her progress to the knockout stages.
Her resilience was to stand her in good stead and, for a second year in succession, she made swift progress to the final eight, defeating Spain’s Lucia Lopez Ortega (4 and 3), Wales’ Beth Coulter (2 and 1) and Germany’s Charlotte Back (3 and 2).
“Yesterday, in particular, was an absolutely dream day. I holed everything and hit it amazing. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m just really proud of myself. I didn’t do anything special today. I just got ahead and then kept the lead. It was about the person making the least mistakes today.”
Jess Baker
Twelve months ago, Baker was beaten by eventual champion Louise Duncan of Scotland on the 18th hole of the quarterfinals, but there was to be no repeat of penultimate-day agony for Baker. She followed a 3 and 2 victory over Italy’s Emilie Alba Paltrinieri with a hard-fought 2 and 1 defeat of Scotland’s Hannah Darling.
The 20-year-old Rydqvist, a distinctive wearer of two black gloves, had emerged from the other side of the draw, the highlight of her run being defeat of fellow Swede Ingrid Lindblad, who had been the pre-championship favourite following her audacious top-15 finish in the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this month. Lindblad, however, had no answer for Rydqvist’s birdie on the final hole of their round-of-16 clash.
Incredibly, every one of the Swede’s first five matches finished on the 18th hole and, in theory, Baker ended that run by draining a championship-winning birdie putt on the 15th hole in the afternoon round.
But in the morning round, the 18th was a fourth successive error-strewn hole by Rydqvist, which turned a 1-up lead into a three-hole deficit, and Baker rarely looked likely to concede her advantage thereafter. Maybe the 18th had been decisive, after all.
“It’s an amazing feeling, just incredible. I can’t believe it,” Baker said amid tears and laughter after the win. “I’m absolutely stunned, but I’m just so happy. I worked really, really hard to get here, and it’s just such a satisfying feeling.
“Yesterday, in particular, was an absolutely dream day. I holed everything and hit it amazing. It’s been a long time coming, and I'm just really proud of myself. I didn’t do anything special today. I just got ahead and then kept the lead. It was about the person making the least mistakes today.”
She also had a special word for her bagman and a new date in her diary.
“He does get on my nerves sometimes, but he always does it for the right reasons,” she said of her dad. “He has been absolutely amazing, I can’t fault him. We’re such a good team, and he's been a huge part of this week.
“And Augusta, oh, my gosh. That’s not really come to my mind yet, to be honest. But it will be an incredible experience, all just great opportunities for me.”
Rydqvist was proud of herself in defeat. “It’s been an absolutely incredible week, and this is my biggest achievement in my golf career so far,” she said. “I’m very, very happy with what I’ve done.
“I didn't really play my best golf out there today, to be honest, and of course that can be a little frustrating. But I definitely fought hard, and I did everything I could. I'll be back next year.
“It’s been awesome this week. I’ve played 10 rounds here, and I’m not even bored of the course yet.”
From 2007 to 2017, the championship was won by a long list of golfers who have gone on to impress in the professional game: 10 of the 11 winners in that stretch have won in the paid ranks, and seven have become European representatives at the Solheim Cup (four of those ending the match as their team’s top scorer).
Baker has a long way to travel in her career, but last week on the Norfolk coast was a great start.
Matt Cooper