The Women's Amateur

New amateur world number one heads Women's Amateur field

The R&A

07 Jun 23

3 mins

New amateur world number one Ingrid Lindblad heads an impressive selection of top-ranked players from across the globe for next week’s 120th Women’s Amateur Championship at Prince’s.

The Kent venue will welcome a talented field of 144 players representing 37 countries from 13–18 June, including no fewer than 12 players ranked inside the top-50 on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®). Lindblad, 23, has climbed to the number one spot following the update to the WAGR standings, with the Swede taking over from American Rose Zhang who quickly impressed to win the LPGA Tour’s Mizuho America’s Open on her professional debut on Sunday.

Top of the world

“I’m delighted to be the new world amateur number one,” said Lindblad, one of three players in the world’s top-ten to be competing at Prince’s alongside Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio (three) from Spain and Scotland’s Hannah Darling (nine). Lindblad is a senior at Louisiana State University (LSU) and has enjoyed a stellar collegiate career, winning 11 times and recording 34 top-15 finishes in 37 starts for LSU. She will make her third appearance in The Women’s Amateur Championship, having reached the last-16 at Hunstanton last year, and is eager to put on another good showing. “I’m excited to be back playing The Women’s Amateur,” she added. “I’ve been hitting the ball well lately so I’m ready to go play. I’ve had a great experience in the last few years of this event and I’m looking forward to another one.”

Ingrid Lindblad - Sweden

“I’m delighted to be the new world amateur number one. I’ve been hitting the ball well lately so I’m ready to go play. I’ve had a great experience in the last few years of this event and I’m looking forward to another one.”

Links experience

Although Lindblad doesn’t know Prince’s, she’s had links experience in the past and knows what to expect from the challenge that lies ahead on the Kent coast. She said, “It’s important to keep the ball in play. It’s a long week so it’s important to be rested for the match play. Last year is last year, but I feel like my links experience from both The Women’s Amateur and the European Team Championship (at Conwy) will put me in a good position for this year.” Fernandez Garcia-Poggio, 18, was runner-up in last year’s R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship at Carnoustie. The rising Spanish star won the 2022 Spanish Women’s Amateur and has finished in the top-five in two Ladies’ European Tour events.

Spanish flair

She began playing golf aged five and has a determined approach to the game ahead of competing at Prince’s. “When I go out to compete, I don’t pay attention to what tournament it is or who I’m playing against,” she said. “I want to win from day one!” After a record 232 entries for the Championship, there are no fewer than 27 competitors from GB&I who will start the stroke play stage – including last year’s champion Jess Baker. Baker took the title in Norfolk last year after defeating Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist by 4&3 in a thrilling Final and is joined by fellow English hope Annabell Fuller at Prince’s, making a remarkable seventh appearance in the Championship.

Hannah Darling - Scotland

“I can draw a lot from last year’s performance and even the performances of the last three years. All three years I’ve been beaten by the eventual winner so that’s something to give me a bit of fuel going into the week.”

Hopeful Darling

Darling is making her fourth appearance and is keen to go one better than previous attempts. The Scot has twice been a semi-finalist, both times losing out to the eventual winner – Louise Duncan at Kilmarnock (Barassie) in 2021 and Baker last year. “I feel that my game is in a good place right now coming off a busy semester in the US, but I’m excited to get back and play some links golf,” said Darling, a past winner of the R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship and twice a player for GB&I in the Curtis Cup. “I know I need to manage my energy during the week. Depending on how far you make it in the match play you could end up playing a lot of golf so that’s something I’ve learnt in the past.” Another Scot, Lorna McClymont, will head into the Championship in a confident mood after successfully defending her Irish Women’s Amateur Championship title, the week after winning the Welsh Women’s Stroke Play.

International field

Other notable players teeing up include Eila Galitsky of Thailand, 16, the current Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Champion and Valentina Rossi from Argentina, winner of the Women's Amateur Latin America in November. Meja Ortengren of Sweden – the 18-year-old ranked 14th on WAGR – will be out to shine, while 12 golfers from the USA will also take part. They include 2021 US Women’s Amateur champion Jensen Castle and world number 29 Latanna Stone. A strong contingent from Asia and Australia will also make the journey to Kent, while South and Central America, the Caribbean and Canada will also be represented.

About the Championship

The Women's Amateur Championship is one of the leading championships in amateur golf for women golfers. The championship, founded in 1893, attracts an international field with an impressive list of former winners including McCormack Medal winner Leona Maguire and major champions Georgia Hall and Anna Nordqvist. The winner of the event gains 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. The field will take part in the stroke play stage on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 June, playing 36 holes. From there, 64 players and ties will advance to the match play stage from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 June. Prince’s played host to The Open in 1932, won by Gene Sarazen. The club has welcomed Final Qualifying for The Open from 2018 to 2022, while the course also co-hosted The Amateur Championship in 2013 and 2017. Prince’s boasts 27 holes of links golf organised in three loops – Shore, Dunes and Himalayas.

Tickets

Spectators are welcome to attend The Women’s Amateur Championship with tickets available to purchase at here. Adult tickets are available from £10, with a four-day ticket just £25. To encourage children and young people to attend The Women’s Amateur Championship, The R&A will continue the successful ‘Kids go Free’ programme which provides children under-16-years-old free entry to the Championship when accompanied by a paying adult. Half-price youth tickets are also available for 16-24-year-olds. The full field for The Women’s Amateur Championship can also be viewed here.

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