Student Series

Murphy and Jamieson take charge at La Sella

The R&A

13 Sep 23

3 mins

Eoin Murphy and Lucy Jamieson are in control of the men’s and women’s tournaments heading into the final round of the opening event of 2023/24 R&A Student Tour Series at La Sella Golf Club near Alicante, Spain.

Maynooth University player Murphy sits on three-under-par with a one-shot lead over University of Exeter Student Ignacio Mateo Fraga. They are the only two players under par in the men’s draw. Jamieson is on one-over par, two shots to the good over Halmstad University’s Hanna Nilsson, the first-round leader. Murphy is looking for his debut Student Tour Series victory, while the University of St Andrews player Jamieson is hoping to add to her wins in Portugal last season and the 2021/22 Grand Final at St Andrews.

Extra incentive

Twenty-year-old Murphy is eager to win before he finishes his Masters Degree in Business and Management next April. “It’s my last year of the Student Tour Series, so there’s a wee bit of extra incentive,” Murphy said. “It’s my final year at Maynooth. I’ve been thinking of that the last couple of weeks, and what I want to get out of this year. "I haven’t played in a Palmer Cup (the reward that goes to the order of merit winner) and the goal is to try and work my way onto that team, and try and get a win because I haven’t won a Student Tour Series event yet. It would be nice to win one this year. I’ve got myself in a lot of good positions and just haven’t got the job done, so I’m going to try and turn that around this week.” He's certainly got himself in the right position with rounds of 71 and 70. He’s only made three bogeys in 36 holes, all three coming in his second round. However, he compensated with five birdies, including on his final two holes. He added, “I had a nice tidy, bogey free day yesterday and anytime you get one of those it’s good. Kept it going again today for a while. I had a couple of bogeys around the turn but made a few birdies to get back on track. So something like that tomorrow and I won’t be too far away.”

Hurling to success

The Irishman’s desire to win a Student Tour Series event is evident from a change of physique from last season. He’s lost weight and feels leaner stronger heading into this campaign. He credits a return to another stick and ball sport as the reason. “I’m back playing a bit of hurling during the summer just for something different to do, play a bit of team sports," he said. "It’s just something different from the golf and it’s been a nice change to keep me in shape and competitive in a different sport during the summer. I’m watching my diet, too, so the combination has resulted in a wee bit of weight loss.” Murphy won the Dundalk Scratch Cup by three shots before leaving for Spain, so he arrived in good form.

Eoin Murphy

"I had a nice tidy, bogey free day yesterday and anytime you get one of those it’s good. Kept it going again today for a while. I had a couple of bogeys around the turn but made a few birdies to get back on track."

Jamieson comfortable atop leaderboard

Jamieson admitted to being foxed by the grainy La Sella greens in round two, especially on the 16th where she four putted from 20 feet. She also bogeyed 17 when she missed a three-foot par putt. However, one of her Student Tour Series victories came on one of Europe’s toughest courses when she won at Troia Resort in Portugal during last season’s campaign. She won’t be phased by her position atop the leaderboard. “I played really, really well on the front nine today, very steady,” said the English player, who is undergoing her Masters Degree in Chemistry at St Andrews. “The back nine started off well before I messed up a little bit at the end, but I’d have taken level par at the start of the day. “If I can play the same way tomorrow then I’ll be happy. Despite 16 and 17, my golf is in good shape. I’m happy going into tomorrow.”

Last hole blues

Nilsson would be closer to Jamieson’s lead if not for a double bogey seven at the par-5 last. Her second shot found the hazard to the right of the green and she did well to limit the damaged to two dropped shots, holing a four-foot putt that did a near 360 loop around the hole before dropping. It all added up to a 76. Two-time order of merit winner Lorna McClymont, the highest ranked player in the field at 118th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), is only three shots off Jamieson’s lead. The Stirling University student is on four over after rounds of 76 and 72. She’ll play with Jamieson and Nilsson in the final round as she looks to win her seventh Student Tour Series event.

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