Portmarnock, Ireland: Asia-Pacific’s hopes of springing an upset victory at the 121st Women’s Amateur Championship came to an abrupt end.
Of the three players from the region to reach the Round of 32, Japan’s Aisa Saito and Chinese Taipei’s Liao Hsin-chun were soundly beaten in the morning at Portmarnock.
While Liao’s compatriot Hsu Huai-chien posted a notable win over American Rachel Kuehn, she then suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Swede Louise Rydqvist in the Round of 16.
Buoyed by her commanding 6&5 success against world number eight Kuehn, Hsu won the first two holes of her afternoon encounter against Rydqvist, the beaten finalist two years ago.
But on a blustery day over the famed links near Dublin – winds gusted up to around 35 miles per hour at some intervals along with occasional rain showers – the Swede came roaring back, winning four of the next five holes. After halving the seventh, Hsu ran out of steam, losing the next six holes in a row to bow out 7&5.
“I was two-down after two and then kind of turned it around. And then all of the sudden I’m three-up after nine. From there, I finished well,” said Rydqvist.
Saito, winner of the girls category at this year’s Royal Junior and the leading qualifier from the Asia-Pacific, finishing tied 30th in stroke play at Portmarnock, continued to impress on Wednesday, defeating American Bentley Cotton in the Round of 64.
But the Japanese had the misfortune to run into World Amateur Golf Ranking number one Lottie Woad of England in the Round of 32. Woad, who eliminated Singapore’s Aloysa Atienza on Wednesday, proved too strong for Saito, running out a 6&5 winner.
Fresh from a 2&1 win against Northern Ireland’s Annabel Wilson in the Round of 64, Liao was unable to repeat that success against American Melanie Green, exiting 5&4.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Anna Foster kept home hopes alive by reaching the quarter-finals, while the challenge of Woad came to an unexpected end on Thursday afternoon.
Foster dug deep and reached the last-eight after a battling 19th hole success over Sweden’s Meja Ortengren.
Having come through 2&1 against Andrea Bergsdottir in the last-32, the 22-year-old from Blackrock continued the form that saw her win last week’s Irish Women’s Open Stroke Play.
Foster will meet another Swede, Rydqvist, in the last-eight today. Beaten by Jess Baker at Hunstanton two years ago, Rydqvist sealed her quarter-final place with her victory over Hsu.
In the worsening afternoon conditions, Woad made some uncharacteristically costly errors and lost out 2&1 to Marie Eline Madsen from Denmark.
The 19-year-old’s win was a significant upset given she stands at 643rd on WAGR and now meets Annabelle Pancake, beaten finalist at Prince’s last year, after the American came through her last-16 tie at the 19th against countrywoman Catherine Rao.
The winner of the 121st Women’s Amateur Championship will gain entry to the AIG Women’s Open, US Women’s Open, The Amundi Evian Championship and by tradition, will earn an invitation to compete at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.
