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The Women's Amateur
Duo go low on blustery opening day at Women's Amateur
13 Jun 23
3 mins
Germany’s Christin Eisenbeiss and Silje Torvund Ohma from Norway share the lead after the opening stroke play round of The 120th Women’s Amateur Championship at Prince’s.
On a glorious day at the Kent venue, testing winds strengthened during the day to provide a formidable test for the 144-player international field representing 36 countries. Eisenbeiss was in the seventh group of the day, teeing off shortly before 8am, and took advantage of then more favourable conditions to sign for a four-under-par 68. The 21-year-old is making her Women’s Amateur debut and is a member of the German national team. Ranked just inside the top 500 on the WAGR, she birdied made three birdies in four holes from the 12th and didn’t drop a shot.Wind a factor
"I enjoyed the test, I really did,” said Eisenbeiess, who enjoyed five top-ten finishes in the 2022-23 season for North Florida. “I think it's a great course, like a scorable course but the wind makes it a little trickier. I think it's great for match play, too, so I'm excited to aim for that." Just over two hours later, Ohma joined the German at the top of the leaderboard after her own 68. A superb front nine of 31, five-under, set the tone for an excellent opening effort, even with dropped shots at the 16th and 17th. Having recently finished her Freshman season at Baylor University in Texas which featured five top-ten results, Ohma, 19, missed the cut on her debut in last year’s Championship at Hunstanton but is well on course to improve at Prince’s. “The front nine was amazing,” she said. “I just hit the shots that I knew that I can hit, and I think that's important in this wind. Also my putter was my best friend today, so that was really helpful.” At a venue that boasts three nine-hole loops, the Shore and Dunes lay-outs are being used this week and four other players also impressed to each sign for three-under 69s. Ireland’s Beth Coulter, Andrea Revuelta of Spain, Darcy Harry from Wales and Dane Natacha Host Husted.
Christin Eisenbeiss - Germany
"I enjoyed the test, I really did. I think it's a great course, like a scorable course but the wind makes it a little trickier. I think it's great for match play, too, so I'm excited to aim for that."
Links experience
Coulter played in the Junior Vagliano Trophy in 2019 at neighbouring Royal St George's and used some of her knowledge of links golf. “I kind of knew what to expect a little bit,” she said. “I hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, which are pretty tough to hit out there, and I held some really nice putts. Par is a great score on some of those holes, so I was just trying to string along as many as possible." No fewer than 12 players are ranked inside the top-50 on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) and the favourites also jostled for early position. New world number one amateur Ingrid Lindblad from Sweden is well-placed after her 73, with Hannah Darling – the highest placed GB&I player in the world – two shots better off. Patience Rhodes from England and Wales’ Ffion Tynan also sit within the top-ten after solid starts. “You know, I haven't played links golf since last summer,” admitted Lindblad, a senior at Louisiana State University. “So it's something you definitely have to get used to, and today, like off the tee, I didn't play with enough margins.” Daring added, “I’m pretty comfortable on links. I grew up on it, obviously being from Scotland, so know how to hit some shots, or try to know how it's going to react.” Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio, world-ranked number three from Spain, signed for the same score as Lindblad. The American duo of Annabelle Pancake and Lilly Thomas posed 72s.
Silje Torvund Ohma - Norway
“The front nine was amazing. I just hit the shots that I knew that I can hit, and I think that's important in this wind. Also my putter was my best friend today, so that was really helpful.”