Portmarnock, Ireland: American Melanie Green enjoyed a dream debut at The 121st Women’s Amateur Championship, claiming a two-hole victory over Scotland’s Lorna McClymont after an epic final.
The 22-year-old continued her new love for links golf after fighting back from four down after eight holes to win the see-saw 36-hole contest on a rain-soaked day at Portmarnock.
McClymont, 23, had edged one-hole ahead with three to play but Green showed remarkable resilience to again bounce back and sealed success with a 22-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
Green is the first American to win the title since Kelli Kuehne in 1996 at Royal Liverpool.
The University of South Florida graduate has now secured places in the fields for the Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women’s Open this summer and the Chevron Championship and US Women’s Open in 2025 by virtue of her win.
Green, 53rd on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), will also, by tradition, receive an invitation to compete in next year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Green, who will also be invited to play in an event on the Ladies’ European Tour, joins a list of Women’s Amateur champions that includes Babe Zaharias, Catriona Matthew, Carlota Ciganda, Anna Nordqvist, Georgia Hall, Céline Boutier and Leona Maguire.
Green, who eliminated Chinese Taipei’s Liao Hsin-chun in the Round of 32, said: “It was an incredible match in the weather and Lorna is an incredible player. There is so much history to this Championship and it’s amazing to win it. I seem to find a way to do better in harder conditions sometimes.
“Every girl that I faced this week was incredible. We all played some really, really solid golf. I got some lucky bounces and breaks that helped in my favour.”
In the tough conditions, Milngavie’s McClymont – who had her mum, Gail, caddying for her – settled the quickest and Green’s bogey at the third gave the Scot the early lead.
The American was then unable to escape from thick rough at the fifth and was forced to concede the hole. Green, who chose not to have a caddie, continued to struggle and found herself three-down at the sixth following a first birdie in the final from McClymont. Green’s bogey at the eighth saw her four-down before mounting a stirring comeback.
A birdie at the ninth after an excellent approach put a spring in Green’s step and she suddenly warmed to the task despite the incessant rain. As Green steadied, University of Stirling scholar McClymont bogeyed four holes in a row from the 11th and lost three of them as the final returned to all square after 14.
McClymont found trouble at 16 allowing Green to lead for the first time, a one-up advantage she held to the lunchtime break.
Green, a member of the American team for next week’s Arnold Palmer Cup at Lahinch, moved two-up when her opponent’s tee shot found a penalty area at the 21st. They exchanged the next two holes before McClymont’s bogey at the par-five 24th dropped her to three-down.
McClymont, 131st on the WAGR and a two-time R&A Student Tour Series Order of Merit winner, rallied with a winning par at the short 25th and only her second birdie of the day at the 28th to claw back to one-down. Green had chances to extend the lead, notably missing a short putt at the par-five 31st, before the Scot pulled all square after a superb approach to five feet at the 32nd.
McClymont rolled in a putt at the next from 15 feet for back-to-back birdies to go ahead only for Green to immediately reply with her birdie at the long 34th as the crowds were treated to a great finish. As the sun finally emerged, McClymont bogeyed the 35th before Green’s decisive birdie.
McClymont said: “I’m proud of the way I played. It was such a close game. Either of us could have won it. Unfortunately, I came out on the wrong side but that’s golf.
“It was tight on the day and it probably could have kept going all day. I guess I got a few unlucky lies but I absolutely would have taken silverware at the start of the week.”
A world-class field of 144 players competed over the famous links north of Dublin from the start of the week, representing 35 countries including no fewer than 21 players ranked inside the top-50 on the WAGR and four in the top-10.
Green also added her name to a list of illustrious winners who have triumphed at Portmarnock in various championships, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and José María Olazábal.
The Women’s Amateur Championship has only been played at Portmarnock on one previous occasion, 93 years ago in 1931. The venue last hosted The Amateur Championship in 2019 when home player James Sugrue emerged victorious.
