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Girls U16 Amateur

Game goes to plan for Landgraf

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The R&A
26 Apr 24
3 mins
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The key to scoring well on the Berkshire Golf Course’s Red Course is playing the par-5s in under par. The leaders certainly did that well in the opening round of the R&A Girls’ U16 Amateur Championship. There are seven three-shot holes on the card for the world’s best under-16s this week. The top four players on the leaderboard were a collective 17-under for the par-5s in the opening round, with French player Louise Landgraf emerging as the first round leader with a five-under-par 67, one shot ahead of compatriot Melliyal Schmitt, Ireland’s Olivia Costello and Lucy Lin of Cyprus.

Cream rises to the top 

Landgraf’s place at the top of the leaderboard is not surprising: she’s the highest ranked player in the field at 134th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®). Costello is the leading Great Britain and Ireland player at 719th. Lin and Schmitt are just outside the top 1,000 at 1,005th and 1,043rd respectively. Fifteen-year-old Landgraf arrived at the Herbert Fowler-designed Berkshire Course, one of Britain’s most quintessential heathland layouts, with a specific game plan focused on the par-5s.  “I studied the yardages of the holes and realised there are a lot of par-5s that are reachable in two, so I set out to just try to reach them in two, and if I make birdie that’s great, and if I make par that’s fine too,” said Landgraf, who warmed up for her debut appearance in England with two second-place finishes, including the French Under 21 Championship. She also placed 17th among the professionals in the Terre Blanche Ladies Open on the LET Access Tour. The Thailand-based French player – her mother is Thai, while her Father is French – toured the par-5s in four under, with birdies at the 3rd, 9th, 13th and 15th holes. She only dropped one shot in her round, the par-3, 16th, while picking up shots on the par-3, 5th and 12th holes.
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Olivia Costello is in the mix heading into day two.

Patient and calm

“My iron game was good today and my putting was too,” Landgraf added. “Part of my game plan was to stay patient and calm, and I did that today. I’ve been playing well this year but I didn’t come here with any expectations. It’s my first time playing in England, and I love this golf course. It’s so different to what I’m used to.” That’s not surprising considering she lives in Phuket, where she has acquired a plus 3.9 handicap at Loch Palm and Red Mountain Golf Clubs. Costello and Lin went one shot better on the long holes, playing them in five under. Costello placed tenth in this Championship last year, and is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Scottish Girls Open Championship at Powfoot. The Roscommon Golf Club member made amends for a double bogey at the par-3, 9th hole by holing a ten-foot birdie putt at the 18th. “I missed a good few putts that I would like to have made, but I just stayed patient out there,” Costello said. “I birdied the three par-5s in a row on the back nine (the 13th, 14th and 15th holes).

Room for improvement 

“I finished tenth last year but realised there was room for improvement in my game, and I think I have improved. I didn’t come here with any expectations based on last year. I just treated today like another round of golf.  “I didn’t play particularly well the first two days of the Scottish Girls, but the putts started dropping in the third round in awful weather, which was pleasing. I think I’ve carried that form into this week.” Landgraf and Costello are focussing on taking different paths in future. The plus 4 handicap Irish player has her sights set on going to an American college when she finishes high school. Landgraf wants to turn professional in three or four years’ time.  Melliyal was the only one of the quartet to drop a shot on a par-5. She three putted the first for a six before birding three of the next four holes. Lin made eight birdies in her round but threw in four bogeys. 

Wong on course for U14 honours

Sabrina Wong was lying in second place when she arrived on the 18th tee. However, the Hong Kong native double bogeyed the par-3 final hole to return a one-under 72 to slip to joint eighth.  No mean feat considering at just 12 years of age she is one of the youngest players in the field. She is one of the favourites to take the Liz Pook Trophy as best under 14-year-old. Lin also qualifies for that piece of silverware. View scoring from the R&A Girls' U16 Amateur Championship
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Girls U16 Amateur