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Girls' and Boys' Am
Ortengren and Murphy leading qualifiers at Boys' and Girls' Amateurs
16 Aug 23
3 mins
Meja Ortengren led the qualifiers for the match play stage of The R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship at Fulford with Jack Murphy and Connor Graham leading The R&A Boy’s Amateur Championship at Ganton today.
The 18-year-old Swede produced a scintillating seven-under-par round of 67 at Fulford today, which featured two eagles, on her way to a 12-under-par total for the two qualifying rounds, five ahead of her nearest challenger, compatriot Josefin Widal. Jack Murphy and Connor Graham led the way into the match play stage in the Boys’ Amateur Championship finishing tied on seven-under-par after the second qualifying round at Ganton. Early morning fog caused a one-hour delay at Ganton but that did not deter Scotland’s Graham who finished on seven-under-par after carding a one-under round of 70. Murphy was among the late finishers and came in with a two-over-par 73. Stroke play qualifying for the Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur Championships was played simultaneously at renowned Yorkshire venues Ganton and Fulford, with the match play stages of both championships taking place at Ganton from tomorrow.Ortengren turns on the style
Meja Ortengren turned on the style to lead a total of 64 players in qualifying from a starting field of 144 in the 94th staging of the Girls’ Amateur Championship. The Swede, who made her debut in the championship last year at Carnoustie, moved up a gear at the 6th at Fulford when she holed her wedge shot from 75 yards out for an eagle three. Birdies followed at the 11th, 13th and 16th and then she produced a grandstand finish, holing a putt for an eagle three from just off the green. Ortengren is the second highest-ranked player in the field in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) at 14th. She was part of Sweden’s winning team at last year’s Espirito Santo Trophy at the World Amateur Team Championships and was tied in the individual competition with Rose Zhang, the former world number one who has recently turned professional, and her fellow competitor this week Helen Briem from Germany. Briem, who is ranked tenth in WAGR, is also among the leading qualifiers, finishing on five-under-par, after a one-under round of 73 at Fulford. Francesca Fiollerini from Italy was on the same mark, one behind Spain’s Andrea Revuelta and Yana Beeli of Switzerland. Isla McDonald-O’Brien was the leading English qualifier on four-under-par, one shot ahead of Olivia Costello from Roscommon, Belgium’s Savannah De Bock and Sara Brentcheneff of France.All things go in match play
Ortengren said, “I am very happy with today. I played very steady and hit some fairways and some greens and made some putts. I also made a wedge on six so that really helped me. “The key was playing as simply as I did. I hit almost every fairway and I think I missed one green so I played very steadily. “Match play is a different game. You really need to play your own game and keep to your own plan and do what’s been working during stroke play. I am looking forward to it but it’s match play, anything can change during those rounds. “It does give me confidence. I know that my game is good right now and that helps me but it’s a new round tomorrow and anything can happen.”
Connor Graham - Scotland
“I played solid for two days and I’m happy to move on to the match play. I was probably more steady around Fulford, I made a few more mistakes today but I was pretty solid on both days.”