Australian Bennett Progresses at Hunstanton

Hunstanton, England: Leading stroke play qualifier Ami Yamashita bowed out of the 119th Women’s Amateur Championship at the first round of match play as Kelsey Bennett kept the flag flying for the Asia-Pacific region.

In the Round of 64, Japanese 17-year-old Yamashita was beaten by two holes by German Chiara Horder, who lost in the last-64 two years ago at West Lancashire.

Also making an exit was Abbie Teasdale who went down 4&2 to Ffion Tynan of Wales.

But Teasdale’s fellow-Australian Bennett, 74th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), progressed to the last 32 with a 2&1 success against Canadian Savannah Grewal.

Joint runner-up in last year’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Abu Dhabi as well as being a member of her country’s team at last month’s 42nd Queen Sirikit Cup in Singapore, Bennett will now take on England’s Annabel Fuller on Thursday morning. A Curtis Cup player, Fuller is looking to go one better than in 2020 when she was the beaten finalist.

Meanwhile, home favourite Amelia Williamson ensured she’ll celebrate her birthday in style today after also progressing to the last-32.

Boosted by local support on another gorgeous day over the Norfolk links, Williamson won an all-England tie against Rosie Belsham 2&1 to continue her title hopes.

Williamson, who holds the women’s course record at Hunstanton, turns 22 today and will face Carolina Melgrati, one of five Italian players to reach the next round, on the morning of her birthday.

Emilie Alba Paltrinieri, who finished runner-up in stroke play qualifying, also continued to impress after a 3&2 triumph over Swede Elice Fredriksson. Letizia Bagnoli, Anna Zanusso and Alessandra Fanali, who won at the first extra hole against Marta Lopez Echevarria, were the other Italians to win.

Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad, second on the WAGR, again caught the eye as she advanced with a 3&1 success over Iceland’s Perla Sol Sigurbrandsdottir.

With this week’s winner earning places in the AIG Women’s Open, US Women’s Open, The Amundi Evian Championship and, by tradition, an invitation to the Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship, Lindblad will hope to continue her form.

Fuller’s Great Britain and Ireland team-mate Hannah Darling had to battle back to defeat England’s Isabelle Simpson 2&1.

There was a notable victory for Gala Dumez from France, who came through at the second extra hole to knock out Spaniard Carolina Lopez-Chaccara who is placed 19th on WAGR.

Ireland’s Beth Coulter, beaten finalist by Darling in last year’s R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship, is also through after edging out Swiss player Natalie Armbruester 2&1, but Roisin Scanlon bowed out 3&1 to Germany’s Tara Bettle.

The R&A will provide live broadcast coverage of the quarter-finals and semi-finals of this week’s championship on Friday and the 36-hole Final on Saturday. This can be watched on The R&A’s website randa.org as well as its YouTube channel.