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Girls U16 Amateur
Wong on verge of historic double at Girls' U16 Amateur
26 Apr 25
4 mins
Sabrina Wong has an opportunity to make history at the Girls’ U16 Amateur after claiming the lead with a superb second round at Gog Magog Golf Club.
No player in the history of the event has won both the Angela Uzielli Trophy that goes to the champion and the Liz Pook Trophy as the best player under the age of 14. Yet the 13-year-old Wong, born in Hong Kong, China but now living in Scotland, could change all that following a five-under 66 on Saturday that lifted her to nine-under for the championship. Wong is two shots ahead of first-round leader Salome Lumbaca of France. The French international returned a level-par 71 to go with her course-record 64 in the opening round, the lowest score ever recorded in the Girls’ U16. Germany’s Cecilie Volckens is four shots off the lead in third spot, having added a two-under 69 to her opening 68. Royal Portrush member Hannah Lee-McNamara sits fourth on three-under, with Axelle Guillemard, Anna Bonerz and Lauren Crump a shot further back.Birdies a calming influence for Wong
Although she birdied the opening hole, it did not look like it was going to be Wong’s day when she then made bogeys at the third, fourth and sixth. However, a truly sensational run followed, as the youngster birdied seven of the next 12 holes to move clear at the top of the leaderboard. “I said yesterday I didn’t want to make any more bogeys but I made (one) more today than yesterday,” said Wong, who is ranked 552nd on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. “But I made two birdies on the seventh and eighth holes. That calmed me down and I played really well over the back nine.”
Call that an understatement from the precocious 13-year-old: she came home in 31 strokes, five-under for the inward nine.
“I think today was quite good, especially after the way I started,” she added. “I think I only needed 27 putts and I was really consistent on the back nine. I hit every fairway and every green.”
Targeting two trophies
Wong, who attends Williamwood High School in Clarkston, Glasgow and is a member of Cathkin Braes Golf Club, won the Liz Pook Trophy last year at The Berkshire when she finished ninth behind France’s Louise Landgraf. She now has her sights set on defending that title along with the main piece of silverware. “I wanted to finish in the top three this year but I’ve got a chance to win now and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” she stated. “The plan is better distance control because I hit a couple of shots early today that missed the greens. “I will be nervous but I’m going to get here early to practise a bit more and that should hopefully make me make me less nervous than today.” It will be Wong’s third victory of the year if she holds on over the final round. She warmed up for the Girls’ U16 with a 13-shot win in the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Classic at Goswick 10 days ago. In February she won the Daily Mail World Junior Golf Championship in Spain by 15 strokes.Lumbaca impressed by partner
Lumbaca will be paired with Wong for the second day running and knows she will have to play well to overhaul the leader. “She’s very impressive,” said Lumbaca, who celebrated her 16th birthday on Saturday. “It’s hard to believe she’s just 13.”
Lumbaca found out what many before her have discovered: it’s hard to follow a great round with another great round.
“I should be happy because I’m in a good position but I’m not happy,” she said after her 71.
“My game was not really good today. My driving was complicated. I kept pushing my drives. Normally if I make a bad drive I pull the ball, but today for some reason I was pushing the ball.”
The Lyon resident needed just 27 putts in her historic opening round, the best score she’s ever recorded. She took six shots more on the greens in round two.
“That’s not really good. My putting was so bad,” she said.
“I’m in a good position. But I’ll try to play better tomorrow and see what happens. It’s golf, so anything can happen.”