Coronation Foursomes

Muirfield pro-am joy for Coronation Foursomes winners

The R&A

03 Aug 22

3 mins

Perthshire pair Isla Johnston and Lauren Cameron enjoyed the experience of a lifetime by teeing up in the Pro-Am ahead of the AIG Women’s Open by virtue of winning last year’s Coronation Foursomes.

Johnston, then aged only 14, and Lauren Cameron, then 22, from Pitlochry Golf Club won the 2021 R&A Coronation Foursomes Grand Final over the Eden Course in St Andrews last September. One of the youngest ever pairings to have competed in the championship – coming out on top from 16 teams in the Grand Final – their prize also included a dream place in the Pro-Am at Muirfield ahead of the AIG Women’s Open.

Boutier pairing

With the world’s leading women players competing over the famed East Lothian links for the first time this week, the young amateur duo were paired with French woman Celine Boutier for Tuesday’s 18 holes of action. Boutier, 28, has ten professional wins to her name – including two on the LPGA Tour – and tied for fourth at the ANA Inspiration earlier this year as she chases a major success. She also won the Women’s Amateur Championship at Portstewart in 2015. It was a wonderful experience for the Coronation Foursomes victors, watching Boutier close up and enjoying friendly chats on the fairways. Cameron only returned to the sport in 2020, while Johnston has been playing at Pitlochry since the age of six.

Isla Johnston, aged only 14, and Lauren Cameron, 22, from Pitlochry Golf Club secured their place in the Pro-Am for the 2022 AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield thanks to their Coronation Foursomes victory.

Surreal experience

“It was an incredible experience as we had never played at Muirfield,” said Cameron. “Even standing at the driving range and pointing at the players. It was nice to watch Celine’s swing and see how she reads the greens. It was amazing to see someone that good and play next to them.” Johnston added, “You are so close to the pros. It was kind of surreal. We had no idea our win would lead to this. It has topped our expectations. “We had this as an ambition to play to the best our abilities so we had a lot of practice sessions together over the winter.”

Historic competition

In 2021, over 17,000 women and girls from more than 850 clubs across Great Britain and Ireland competed for the right to contest the showpiece final at the home of golf As part of The R&A’s drive to encourage more women and girls into playing golf, the Coronation Foursomes continues to attract all ages. The unique team competition saw local qualifying at clubs throughout the summer, with players coming through one of 16 Area Finals to seal their spot in St Andrews. Established in 1953 to celebrate the Queen’s Coronation, the Coronation Foursomes is open to all female members of affiliated golf clubs in Great Britain and Ireland who hold a hold a current World Handicap System (WHS) Index of 40.0 or under. This year’s Grand Final will be held in St Andrews on Monday 19 September, again over the Eden Course. View more information here