Opening Golf to the World
Girls' Amateur
Geier claims top seed position at The R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship
11 Aug 26
4 mins
Germany’s Lena Geier is the number one seed heading into the match play stages of The R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship at Craigielaw after posting a four-under-par 138 total.
The 17-year-old member of Bad Griesbach near Munich carded rounds of 67 and 71 around the East Lothian venue to lead the 144 competitors from 32 countries seeking to win the Challenge Cup. Geier, who hopes to become the first German winner since Helen Briem in 2023, finished one shot ahead of Spain’s Carlota López-Minguela. England’s Imogen Hall, Anna Ludvova of the Czech Republic and Sweden’s Olivia Holmberg shared third place on three-under. “I started with an eagle at the 1st yesterday and I nearly ended with one on the 18th today,” said Geier, who sits at 1,643rd on the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®). “My 20-metre putt hit the hole but didn’t go in. It would have been nice to start qualifying with an eagle and end with one. “It’s the second time this year I’ve played well in qualifying. I led qualifying for the European Girls’ Team Championship in Switzerland last month. I played well there and have carried it on here so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Lena Geier topped the leaderboard after two rounds of stroke play.
Geier offset two bogeys with two birdies for her level-par score - a round in stark contrast to her opening effort when she made an eagle and four birdies.
Low scores almost seemed guaranteed thanks to another glorious day of sunshine and minimal wind. However, the par-71, 6,090-yard layout proved no pushover thanks to Craigielaw’s tricky greens, where subtle borrows and run-offs provided adequate protection against some of the best 18-and-under golfers in the world.
“The pin positions were a little trickier than yesterday. I hit a lot of fairways and greens, but I didn’t give myself a lot of birdie putts because I wasn’t tricked into going for some flags and leaving myself tough up-and-downs,” Geier added. “I’m happy with my round today because making the cut is what matters.”
It is the second year in-a-row the German has qualified for the head-to-head rounds of the Girls’ Amateur. She made the top-64 last year at Conwy before bowing out in the opening round.
López-Minguela began her round with a flourish when she made an albatross at the 535-yard par-5 4th hole. “I hit a perfect drive in the middle of the fairway, and then a 3-wood,” said the player ranked 664th in the WAGR®.
“It was 203 metres to the flag and I just couldn’t believe my ball ended up in the hole. “I drove the ball really straight today and hit my irons well to hit a lot of greens so I’m really proud of how I played.”
Carlota López-Minguela carded an albatross at the 535-yard par-5 4th hole.
The Valencia native signed for six birdies alongside her albatross and dropped just three shots for a five-under-par 66 - matching the low score of the Championship alongside first-round leader Cecilie Volckens.
“I learned from playing links golf last year that I need to be patient," she said. "I’ve done that well the last two days so I need to keep that going and try to win as many matches as I can.”
López-Minguela, who has committed to playing college golf at Auburn University next September, is also taking her place in the match play stages for the second consecutive year. Like Geier, she lost in the opening round at Conwy 12 months ago.
Stella Walters of Blairgowrie and Loudoun Gowf member Hannah O’Unap gave home fans much to cheer about over the two days. Thirteen-year-old Walters, making her Championship debut, added a one-under-par 70 to her opening 71 to sit on level-par 142 alongside O’Unap in 10th place. O’Unap, who won the Stephen Gallacher Foundation’s Barrie Douglas Scottish Junior Masters in June, recorded a 74 to go with her opening 68.
Glasgow-based Hong Kong player Sabrina Wong, the highest-ranked player in the field at 167th, is also safely through to the match play rounds after finishing on one-over-par 143 in 15th position.
Overnight leader Volckens carded a four-over-par 75 to complement her first-round 66 to ensure her place in the knockout stage.
Whoever emerges as champion at the end of the week will join an impressive roll call going back to the inaugural 1919 tournament. Enid Wilson, Diane Fishwick, Mickey Walker, Gillian Stewart, Jane Connachan, Marie-Laure de Lorenzi, Maria Hjorth, Mhairi McKay, Suzann Pettersen, Azahara Muñoz, Anna Nordqvist, Georgia Hall, Pia Babnik, Lottie Woad and Briem are among the notable past winners.
View the final stroke play leaderboard by clicking here.