Sweet sixteen for Bronte at English Amateur trophy
Cheshire champion golfer Bronte Law blew away the chasing pack to retain her English women’s amateur title by a 16-shot winning margin.
The 20-year-old from Bramhall shot 13-under par to become the first player to successfully defend the championship in her lifetime.
The ladies amateur world number three said: “I didn’t just want to come here and win by a bit. I really wanted to put a stamp on this, that’s what I came here to do.”
Law wasted no time putting her mark on the competition, shooting an opening round of 63, and her performance was recognised as so outstanding by Hunstanton, the host club, that she was immediately made an honorary member.
“Coming back and winning this again is big for me,” she said. “You can win once, but winning again really proved to me that I have come a long way as a player.”
Trailing somewhat behind Law, but in a pitched battle for second place, were Yorkshire’s Rochelle Morris and Burhill’s Lizzie Prior. Both finished on three-over, but it was Woodsome Hall’s Morris who claimed the runner-up spot on account of her better final round.
“I said to my dad that this was a competition for second place,” she said. “I grew up on a windy course and I’m usually pretty decent in the wind.”
‘For me it’s about creating my own challenges each day and trying to be the best player I can be’ Bronte Law made her title intentions very clear from the first round when she opened with a score of nine-under par 63, which included 11 birdies. She followed up with 69 in the second round and was one-under for today’s final 36 holes with scores of 69, 74, returned in an ever increasing wind.
In this morning’s third round she got to six-under par after the 15th, with a pair of eagles and a pair of birdies but dropped shots on the last three holes. In the final round, the winds grew steadily stronger, but Law responded with steady play designed to limit any errors.
“I’m really happy with how I played in the conditions today. It was tough and to be under par for the day is pretty good. It’s windy out there and when you stand over those short putts they don’t feel so short anymore.”
Her lead grew throughout the tournament, from three shots, to 10, to 13 and finally to 16. But she never relaxed: “I don’t get complacent, I know there’s a lot of good players out there. I never think I’m cruising. For me it’s about creating my own challenges each day and trying to be best player I can be.
“I kind of forgot about the score and tried to enjoy the experience – and having my family with me made it so nice,” she said. Law was accompanied by her mother, 11-year-old sister Bella, 91-year-old grandfather and the family dog.
She paid tribute to her home coach, Richard Green at Bramhall, who “has taught me the sort of shots I needed out in the wind. He has been really influential throughout my career.”
Her experience at university in America, where she is a student at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) has also played its part – and she has two more years there.
But first, her attention turns to next week’s European individual championship in Austria. “Having four solid rounds of stroke play under my belt is definitely going to help me,” she said.
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