EUPHEMIE Rhodes claimed a place in the semi-finals of the centenary R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship, at Panmure, with an excellent victory over Italy’s Alessia Nobilio.
The 17-year-old Somerset teenager saw off the challenge of Nobilio, the highest-ranked player in the field at sixth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, with a high quality performance.
Seven different nations were represented in the quarter-finals with players from England, Slovenia, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Austria and two from Spain.
Rhodes, who finished fourth in the individual event in the European Girls’ Team Championship in Spain last month, raced out of the blocks, winning the first with a birdie three and took advantage of three consecutive bogeys from the 4th from Nobilio to move four up after six.
Nobilio, who was part of the winning Continent of Europe Vagliano Team in June, at Royal St George’s rallied with a birdie to win the 10th but dropped a shot at the next to slip back to four down.
Rhodes – a member of the England team crowned Ladies Home Internationals champions at Downfield earlier this month – ran into trouble on the 12th and conceded the hole to move back to three ahead.
The Burnham & Berrow player showed tremendous composure to almost hole her chip from a bank of thick rough to the right of the 15th green to secure a half and maintain her lead before securing a 3&2 victory at the next.
Rhodes will face Pia Babnik in Saturday’s semi-final after the 15-year-old Slovenian defeated Spain’s Carla Tejedo 2&1.
Rhodes said: “I just kept thinking about making pars, because out here in the wind it is really tough, and staying calm.
“I was thinking about hitting the fairway, hitting the green and taking two putts. If I bogeyed I wasn’t worried, I was thinking maybe birdie or par the next hole. The way I was chipping also really helped me.
“I have been through loads of stages like this where I haven’t kept calm and it’s been a bit stressful,” Rhodes added.
“So I have learned from past experiences to just keep calm. This would be my biggest win so far so I can’t even put it into words. I’m so excited.”
Tejedo won her first hole with a birdie but Babnik responded with a birdie of her own to win the second and was never behind from there.
Babnik, who won the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open earlier this year, matched Tejedo’s birdie on the 16th to stay two up and sealed the match on the 17th with a half in par.
Babnk said: “It was a tough match. I needed to focus throughout. She was hitting it close and playing well all the round so I had to stay patient because I knew I could play well.
“I’m really happy to be in the semi-finals. I am trying to play match by match, hole by hole and will try to win again.”
Norway’s Mia Sandtorv Lussand took her place in the semi-finals after edging out Spain’s Carolina Lopez-Chacarra by one hole.
There was never more than one hole in it throughout the match with the Spanish player leading until the 15-year-old Lussand birdied the 11th to move to all square.
She edged ahead for the first time on the 15th and held on to her slender lead from there to secure her place against Austria’s Isabella Holpfer.
Lussand said: “I hit a lot of fairways and that gave me a lot of opportunities to make birdies and my putting was also good.
“I put a lot of long putts close to the hole and holed a few so my game was actually quite good.
“I was just thinking ‘I’m doing my best and whatever happens, happens’ so that helped me calm down.
“I stayed focused on what I was doing and not what the other player was doing. I’m very excited to be in the semi-finals.
“I didn’t expect that to be honest when I came here a few days ago so I’m very happy,” Lussand added.
Holpfer, who was runner-up in last year’s championship at Ardglass, was in control for most of her match against Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist, moving to two up after three holes.
The 18-year-old Swede fought back to all-square at the eighth, but Holpfer bounced back and moved back into the lead at the next when her opponent bogeyed.
Another bogey for Rydqvist at the 16th was enough for the girl from Vienna to clinch a 3&2 win.
Holpfer said “It feels really good because last year I was in the same position and now I have another chance so I’m really excited.
“There is still a lot of golf to be played so I will just stick to my game plan and take it one shot at a time and see what happens.
“It’s been pretty tough but I do a lot of fitness at home so I guess I’m well prepared,” Holpfer added.
“I’m really happy with my putting and I just try to keep my long game in play.
“I haven’t made many mistakes. I have just tried to keep the ball on the fairway and hit it as close as possible to the pin. I’m focused on the semi-final now,” said Holpfer.
In the morning’s third round, Rhodes edged out Anna Foster, from Elm Park, on the 18th green when the Irish girl’s four-foot par putt lipped out.
Nobilio trailed former champion and compatriot Emilie Paltrinieri by two holes after the 3rd but fought her way back into the match at the turn and eased to a 2&1 win.
Babnik was in control throughout her match against Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley, and secured a 4&3 victory.
Holpfer was never behind in her match with Denmark’s Natacha Høst Husted and won by a 2&1 margin, while Sandtorv Lussand won by 3&2 against Germany’s Paula Schulz-Hanssen.
The Girls’ Amateur Championship was first played in 1919 and celebrates its centenary this year.
Four former Girls’ Amateur Champions were named in the European Solheim Cup team this week – Georgia Hall, Suzann Pettersen, Anna Nordqvist and Azahara Munoz.
The winner of this year’s championship will receive exemptions into Final Qualifying for the 2020 AIG Women’s British Open, the Women’s Amateur Championship at Kilmarnock (Barassie) and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.
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