Anna Foster keeps Irish hopes alive at the British Women’s Amateur

Anna Foster keeps Irish hopes alive at the British Women’s Amateur

Anna Foster (Royal and Ancient Photo)

Ireland’s Anna Foster kept home hopes alive by reaching the quarter-finals of The 121st Women’s Amateur Championship at Portmarnock, but the challenge of world number one Lottie Woad came to an end.

On a blustery day over the famed links near Dublin – winds gusted up to around 35 mph at some intervals along with occasional rain showers – 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, Louise Rydqvist, in the last eight tomorrow after the 2022 finalist again showed her love of links golf. Beaten by Jess Baker at Hunstanton two years ago, she sealed a quarter-final place with a 7&5 win over Huai-Chien Hsu from Chinese Taipei.

Woad, the leading stroke play qualifier and the No. 1 player in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Women’s Rankings, looked set to continue her progress after seeing off Japan’s Aisa Saito 6&5 in the last 32. But in the worsening afternoon conditions, the Englishwoman made some 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.

Debutant Melanie Green also thrived in conditions far removed from her Florida home to become the first player into the quarter-finals after an impressive 6&5 triumph over Spain’s Paula Martin Sampedro. Green faces Paula Schulz-Hanssen from Germany tomorrow morning.

In her fifth appearance in the Championship, Scotland’s Lorna McClymont is into the last eight for the first time. The double R&A Student Tour Series Order of Merit winner saw off French player Camille Min Gaultier 4&3 and meets another Frenchwoman, Ines Archer, tomorrow.

The Championship, founded in 1893, boasts an impressive list of former winners, including McCormack Medal winner Leona Maguire and major champions Georgia Hall and Anna Nordqvist.

The winner of this year’s Championship has future opportunities, gaining entry to the AIG Women’s Open, US Women’s Open, and The Amundi Evian Championship, and, by tradition, will earn an invitation to compete at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.