Conwy, Wales: Sabrina Wong underscored her burgeoning reputation with another outstanding performance, but her bid for a second R&A title this year fell agonisingly short.
Wong, who was born in Hong Kong but moved with her family to Glasgow a couple of years ago to continue her golfing education in Scotland, created history this season by becoming the youngest winner of The R&A Girls’ Under-16 Amateur Championship.
But her attempts to become the first 13-year-old to win The R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship since Scotland’s Nancy Jupp in 1934 were extinguished in a dramatic semi-final loss to France’s Lily Reitter, who went on to claim the title.
Tied for 17th in the stroke play segment following rounds of 74 and 72, Wong comfortably qualified for the match play phase where she saw off the challenges of England’s Lottie Woodham (3&1, round one), the French duo of Salome Lumbaca (5&3, round two) and Giselle Zhao (one-up, round three) and Spaniard Bianca Gomez-Balboa (6&5, quarter-final).
In her semi-final with Florida-based 16-year-old Reitter at Conwy, Wong raced into a two-up lead through seven, before Reitter reeled off three birdies around the turn to haul herself level. With a birdie on 14, Wong regained the advantage before an absorbing duel unravelled on the home straight.
Through 15 holes, Wong hadn’t made a bogey, but two would then arrive at the worst possible time.
Wong lost her lead when her par putt on the 16th lipped out. With nerves jangling, the Hong Kong player then launched her drive on the 18th into a bush down the right of the fairway and had to take a drop. It was a cruel way for Wong’s campaign to end as she stumbled to a closing bogey.
Reitter, meanwhile, went on to defeat England’s Charlotte Naughton 4&2 in the 36-hole final.
As well as etching her name on to a roll of honour of considerable distinction, Reitter also earned invitations to next year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur, The Women’s Amateur Championship and the US Girls’ Junior Championship. She also gets an exemption into Final Qualifying for the AIG Women’s Open.
Wong was the only representative from Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) member countries to progress to match play.
The Indian trio of Mannat Brar (154), Kashika Misra (157) and Guntas Kaur Sandhu (158), the UAE’s Alayna Rafique (155) and Thai Jidapat Siddshirujirot (163) all exited following the 36-hole stroke play phase.
In The R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship at County Louth in Ireland, Guus Lafeber of the Netherlands defeated Spain’s Yago Horno on the first play-off hole to win the title.
Aside from the gold winner’s medal, Lafeber receives an exemption into next year’s Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire. He also earns a spot in Final Qualifying for The 154th Open to be played at Royal Birkdale.
Indian Kartik Singh led the Asian challenge, reaching the third round where he was beaten by Alzas Callixte of France, 2&1.
Also making it through to match play were Thai Teerawut Boonseeor and Japan’s Kinjiro Kato. Both bowed out in the first round, Teerawut losing one-down to Poland’s Konstantu Luczak while Kato put up a brave fight before exiting at the 20th hole against Ireland’s John Doyle.
Thais Bhumkit and Surapitch Pitchayasaowapak, Indian Krish Chawla and Hong Kong China’s Nathan Chan all failed to progress from the 36-hole stroke play qualifier.