Girls U16 Amateur

Lumbaca makes history to lead Girls' U16

The R&A

25 Apr 25

5 mins

Salome Lumbaca on day one of the Girls' U16 Amateur

Salome Lumbaca could not stop smiling and giggling when she walked off Gog Magog Golf Club’s 18^th green. No wonder: the French player had just returned a career-low, historic seven-under-par 64 in the opening round of The Girls’ U16 Amateur Championship.

The French international broke the Girls’ U16 18-hole scoring record by two shots. Fellow French player Louise Landgraf recorded a five-under-par 68 in the first round en route to winning last year’s title at The Berkshire Golf Club. It was three shots better than the rest of the field, one that includes 80 golfers from 26 countries. Not a bad early birthday present: Lyon resident Lumbaca turns 16 on Saturday. Norway’s Marie Lussand and Sabrina Wong of Hong Kong, China share second place after matching four-under-par 67s. Germany’s Cecilie Volckens is fourth on three-under, while Lauren Crump and Mariella Buchanan are the leading players from Great Britain & Ireland. They share fifth place on two-under with Germany’s Anna Bonerz. “I’ve shot six-under before but not seven-under, so this is my best score ever in my life,” Lumbaca said. “I’m 16 tomorrow, so it’s a nice way to celebrate my birthday.”

A hot putter

Lumbaca did not get off to the best of starts in her second Girls’ U16 tournament (she finished 24^th last year). She began with a three-putt bogey and also bogeyed the 10^th, but these were her only dropped shots. She more than made up for those errors with eight birdies, before stamping an emphatic full stop on her round by eagling the 437-yard, par-5, 18^th hole when she hit driver, seven-iron and converted the 12-foot putt. “My putting was really, really good today,” she said. “I think I only had 27 putts, and if you do that then you’re probably going to play well. But my goal today was just to have fun and not worry about my score.”

Salome Lumbaca, the first-round leader at the Girls' U16 Amateur

Salome Lumbaca - France

"This is my best score ever in my life. I’m 16 tomorrow, so it’s a nice way to celebrate my birthday."

Lumbaca is ranked 958^th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, status that partly came from lifting the Trophee Jean-Louis Jurion last year when she won the Grand Prix de Valescure in her homeland. Her ranking is sure to soar if she follows in Landgraf’s footsteps by becoming the second consecutive French player, one of 14 in this year’s field, to lift the prestigious trophy. Wong and Lussand are also making their second consecutive appearances in the Girls’ U16. Lussand placed 47^th at The Berkshire, but Wong celebrated a successful week by finishing joint ninth to take the Liz Pook Trophy as the leading under-14 player.

Short game boosts Wong

“Honestly, I made so many mistakes today,” Wong said. “My approach shots were missing the green left and I had to save my score with good chipping and putting. “I suppose I can’t really complain about a 67.” Like Lumbaca, Wong eagled the last when she reached the green with a “light” eight-iron and holed from nine feet. Wong, whose parents moved to Glasgow two years ago, is still eligible for that under-14 award. She does not turn 14 until October and is three shots ahead of France’s Elea Bastoni in the race for the Liz Pook Trophy. Precocious does not even do the affable Cathkin Braes Golf Club member justice. “I was happy to win the under-14 award last year but I’d like to finish in the top three this week, Wong added. “Everyone playing this week is really good and I’m really young and still under 14. I’m just trying my best to hopefully play well, not have any more bogeys and finish under par.”

What a difference a year makes

Twelve months ago, Lussand returned rounds of 80, 77 and 81. What a difference a year makes. “My ball-striking and chipping were really good today,” Lussand said. “My putting was just okay. I didn’t make as many putts as I wanted to make. I made four birdies, but I could have made six or seven. “The really pleasing thing today was not making any bogeys.” The leading trio are all hoping to play college golf somewhere down the road and Lussand’s sister Mia attends the University of South Carolina, where she’s a team-mate of Hannah Darling. The Scot, 18^th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, won the inaugural Girls’ U16 in 2018 and has gone on to enjoy plenty of further success, including a key role in Great Britain and Ireland’s Curtis Cup victory in 2024.

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