Opening Golf to the World
The Women's Amateur
England’s Lily Hirst leads the way in stroke play qualifying at The Women’s Amateur
23 Jun 26
4 mins
England’s Lily Hirst showed her growing confidence on the big stage by leading stroke play qualifying in the 123rd Women’s Amateur Championship at Muirfield.
Fresh from playing in the Curtis Cup at Bel-Air Country Club, the Huddersfield player carded a second round 66 to top the standings with a six-under-par aggregate of 136. While she and her Great Britain and Ireland team-mates were disappointed with their defeat to the USA in Los Angeles, Hirst was thrilled by the experience and carried the feelgood factor into this week’s Championship. On a perfect, sun-kissed day in East Lothian, she carded a round that included six birdies and one bogey. The highlight was a bunker shot to three feet on the 8th, which earned her a valuable par. “I’m really happy with that,” said Hirst. “It’s amazing, especially on such a prestigious golf course at such a prestigious event. This kind of tournament is on everyone’s radar, especially if you’re British. It’s one that everyone wants to get their hands on.
Lily Hirst topped the strokeplay leaderboard with a total score of six-under-par.
“Being leading qualifier, the confidence going into the match play stages is so much higher. I know that I’m playing well, hitting it good and holing so many putts. It’s really good.
“We were gutted not to get the result at the Curtis Cup, but it was such an amazing week. I feel like playing that week has given me so much confidence in my game, not just for the week, but for turning pro at the end of the year as well.”
Hirst finished the day one clear of three players who shared second place – Farah O’Keefe, Rianne Malixi and Meja Ortengen. Defending champion Paula Martín Sampedro and first-round leader Gracie Mayo from Wales were a shot further back.
American O’Keefe was another who loved every minute of the Curtis Cup, where she became only the fourth player in history to win all five of her matches.
The world number three posted a five-under 66 to finish with a five-under aggregate of 137. She was out in 33 and, after consecutive bogeys at the 15th and 16th, holed an eagle putt from off the green on the par-5 17th.
As the match play stages get underway tomorrow, O’Keefe’s aim is to go one better than she did last year when Sampedro beat her in the Final at Nairn. Playing in the same group as O’Keefe, Sampedro followed her first-round 67 with a 71. The Spaniard was out in 33, but there were four bogeys on the back nine as the wind picked up late in the day.
“We were gutted not to get the result at the Curtis Cup, but it was such an amazing week. I feel like playing that week has given me so much confidence in my game, not just for the week, but for turning pro at the end of the year as well.”
Hirst finished the day one clear of three players who shared second place – Farah O’Keefe, Rianne Malixi and Meja Ortengen. Defending champion Paula Martín Sampedro and first-round leader Gracie Mayo from Wales were a shot further back.
American O’Keefe was another who loved every minute of the Curtis Cup, where she became only the fourth player in history to win all five of her matches.
The world number three posted a five-under 66 to finish with a five-under aggregate of 137. She was out in 33 and, after consecutive bogeys at the 15th and 16th, holed an eagle putt from off the green on the par-5 17th.
As the match play stages get underway tomorrow, O’Keefe’s aim is to go one better than she did last year when Sampedro beat her in the Final at Nairn. Playing in the same group as O’Keefe, Sampedro followed her first-round 67 with a 71. The Spaniard was out in 33, but there were four bogeys on the back nine as the wind picked up late in the day.
WAGR number two Farah O'Keefe put in an impressive display during round two at Muirfield.
O’Keefe said, “I think all of the energy and the good vibes from last week have kind of stuck around for this week. I just love surrounding myself with great people who are positive, energetic.
“Everybody that I get to travel with nowadays pretty much fits that mould. They're all awesome people and they keep me excited and happy. I try to repay that favour to them. I'd love to do one better (than last year). I think I've grown a lot as a person in the last year.”
Sweden’s Ortengren followed her first-round 68 with a 69, while Malixi was home in 32 for a 68. The Philippines player, who won the US Women’s Amateur two years ago, said that patience had been the key to her score.
“I was quite steady today,” she noted. “I didn't hit the driver as good as yesterday. I hit a few more in the bunkers off the tee, but I just took my medicine and went on. Then I had some really good approaches coming down to make some birdies that was really needed. The wind was blowing a little bit harder on the back nine. I think getting a feel for how the course is playing in the wind is really important coming into match play.”
With five of the top ten on the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) competing, as well as 11 of its top 20, the 144-strong field produced an exciting day at Muirfield, which is hosting the Championship for the first time.
Louise Depadt was among the 64 who made it through to the match play stage with a four-under par 67 that included a hole-in one. Her 8-iron on the par-3 7th was the highlight of a second-round 67 that put her on one-over-par.
Louise Depadt was the third Frenchwoman to score a hole-in-one at this year's Women's Amateur Championship.
Not only was it the third hole-in-one of the Championship, it was the third by a French player, with Vairana Heck and Giselle Zhao also achieving the feat in in the opening round.
The qualifying cut mark fell at four-over-par with a play-off determining the last places. Shauna Liu, Ann-Sophie Bourgault, Kacey Ly, Cayetana Fernandez Camille Min Gaultier and Isabel Brozena were the successful players to navigate the play-offs. Brozena sealed the last spot after a tense five-hold play-off against Paula Francesca.
The winner of this year’s Championship gains entry to the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the US Women’s Open presented by Ally, The Amundi Evian Championship, the Chevron Championship and, by tradition, will earn an invitation to compete at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.
Spectators are welcome and can attend free of charge. The R&A will provide live stream coverage of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and Final (plus highlights) on R&ATV and The R&A's YouTube channel, with coverage also broadcast by Sky Sports.