Albert Hansson and Lottie Woad claimed the glory Sunday at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland in the first-ever staging of the R&A’s Boys’ and Girls’ Amateur Championships at the same time and in the same location.
If the two triumphs created history, they also were flavoured by friendship with Sweden’s Hansson defeating his best mate and compatriot Didrik Ringvall Bengtsson in the final. Meanwhile, Woad completed victory over Spain’s Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio just 24 hours after knocking out her good pal and England teammate Rachel Gourley at the semifinal stage.
The week began with 396 golfers from 22 countries playing 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying at nearby Panmure and Monifieth. In the boys’ event, among those hoping to emulate José María Olazábal, Sergio García and Matthew Fitzpatrick in adding their name to the list of winners, there was a strong home contingent including Oliver Mukherjee, the recent Scottish Men’s Amateur champion, and Niall Shiels Donegan, who made it to the semifinals last year and was the star of last week’s Home Internationals.
Spain’s Jorge Siyuan Hao was the only player in the field to shoot two rounds in the 60s to lead the qualifier, but the two Swedes dominated the match play, winning their first-round matches with ease before fighting through a series of tight affairs to set up the Sunday shootout.
The pair not only go to the same school and take the same lessons but also shared the same accommodation all week and even prepared for the 36-hole final over the same breakfast table.
“I wanted to win at the beginning of the week, but I also knew there were 252 players in the field, so it’s a dream come true to win.”
Albert Hansson
“I wouldn’t have thought of this at the start of the week, only in my dreams maybe, but it will be a lot of fun,” Hansson said ahead of the final. He led by one hole at the lunch break, but the match turned with a burst of five birdies in six holes from his opponent who led 3-up through 10.
Hansson was not to be denied, however. A revival in his own form, and nerves from his opponent, allowed him to complete a 2-up victory. “It’s hard to describe; just an unbelievable week,” he said. “I wanted to win at the beginning of the week, but I also knew there were 252 players in the field, so it’s a dream come true to win.”
Of the potential for awkwardness in the final, he said: “I tried to be friendly but also make it a real match. We spoke sometimes, and other times we did not.” He earns exemptions into the Amateur Championship, the U.S. Junior Amateur (subject to age eligibility) and Open Final Qualifying.
Woad added her name to the likes of past champions Anna Nordqvist, Suzann Pettersen, Azahara Muñoz and Georgia Hall in becoming the 93rd winner of the girls’ event, and she did so courtesy of a high-class performance against a strong field. Seven of the field, including the eventual finalists, had started the week ranked in the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Woad began her week by qualifying alone in second before sweeping all before her in the knockout stages, fuelled by a straightforward but strong strategy of avoiding all of Carnoustie’s bunkers.
She had combined with Gourley to win the Sunningdale Foursomes at the start of the season, but dispatched her partner, 5 and 4, in the semifinals Saturday. “It’s definitely easier when you get up in a match early because it forces your opponent to chase, which is quite hard on this course,” she said.
Fernández García-Poggio was Woad’s third Spanish opponent of the week, and the Madrid golfer fared no better than the first two foes. She’d overcome a broken driver earlier in the week, but she couldn’t live with the relentless Woad. Two up through the first 21 holes, the Englishwoman unleashed six birdies in the next nine holes to close out the match, 7 and 6.
“Amazing,” the slightly bewildered champion said afterward. “I didn’t really know that I’d won, but it’s great to have my name on the trophy, and I hope to follow the journeys made by past winners of this event.”
Victory secures Woad exemptions into the Women’s Amateur Championship, the U.S. Girls’ Junior (subject to age eligibility), the AIG Women’s Open Final Qualifying and, by tradition, an invitation to next year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
BOYS' RESULTS / GIRLS' RESULTS
Staff and wire report