Peirce Pips Galitsky to Low Amateur Honours

Sydney, Australia: Caitlin Peirce set the seal on a memorable year by finishing as the low women’s amateur at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.

A prolific winner this year on the amateur scene, highlighted by her success at the Queensland Amateur Championship, the 21-year-old tied for seventh on her second successive appearance in her national Open.

After an opening even-par 73 at The Lakes Golf Club, Peirce followed with rounds of 69, 74 and a closing one-under 71 at The Australian Golf Club.

“It’s another goal for me to tick off. It’s nice to be rewarded for a good week,” said the South Australian who was a member of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation’s team against the European Golf Association in the Solheim Cup-style Patsy Hankins Trophy in Spain in August.

A previous recipient of the Karrie Webb scholarship, Peirce was one of 13 amateurs to make the half-way cut at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, among them two Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) winners – Thai Eila Galitsky and Japan’s Mizuki Hashimoto.

Galitsky, triumphant in the WAAP in Singapore this year, finished tied 11th on two-over 291.

Meanwhile, Hashimoto, victorious in the WAAP in Abu Dhabi in 2021 and winner of this year’s Australian Open Amateur, ended in joint 31st place on 299.

Other amateurs to play all four rounds were Australians Jazy Roberts (tied 14th), Hannah Reeves and Sarah Hammett (both tied 18th), Ella Scaysbrook (tied 21st), Ann Jang (tied 26th), Rachel Lee and Lion Higo (both tied 35th) and Indonesian Holly Halim and Malaysian Jeneath Wong (both tied 38th).

Peirce, Galitsky and Hashimoto will be hoping last week’s performances are reflected in their updated standings in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). Peirce began last week in 92nd place with Galitsky 62nd and Hashimoto 63rd.

All three will be among the pre-tournament favourites at the sixth edition of the WAAP which is scheduled to take place at the Siam Country Club in Thailand in the first week of February, 2024.