The 22-year-old, who claimed victory at Royal County Down last year, is aiming to become the first player since Sweden’s Louise Stahle to retain the championship, back in 2005.

Having progressed on the cut mark during qualifying, Toy found her form in the matchplay stages to continue her quest for a historic success at the spectacular North-West links.

In the championship’s 117th staging, Toy saw off the challenge of Roehampton’s Isabelle Simpson.

Her one-hole win in the morning, was followed by a comfortable 5&4 triumph over Ireland’s Jessica Ross.

Toy said: “I’m trying not to give up the title. Obviously, making the cut on the mark was a relief and coming through two rounds I’m pleased to be where I am.

“It was a really good match this morning and I was pleased to get the win,” added the Carlyon Bay member.

“This afternoon I played nicely again. I have been struggling a little bit with form coming into this event. So it has been nice to actually see some nice shots.

“At the start of the week, in my eyes, the trophy was out there for anyone to win.

“I’m just coming to an event trying to win like everyone else. If I can keep doing the right things and if that is good enough at the end of the week then great.

It’s my first time here and I’m really enjoying it,” said Toy, who missed out on the chance to play at Augusta in April because of the COVID-19 crisis, which saw the second ever Augusta National Women’s Amateur cancelled along with the Masters.

Is Price right for Emily’s double?

LUDLOW’S in-form Emily Price, who won the English Women’s Amateur Championship earlier this month, maintained her bid for more glory.

She beat Iceland’s Hulda Clara Gestsdottir 2&1 to reach the last-16 where she will face Lithunia’s Gilė Bitė Starkutė.

Denmark’s Amalie Leth-Nissen – who was the leading qualifier on countback – lost out to her older sister, Cecilie, at the final hole in an emotional contest in the opening tie of the day.

It was a notable triumph, given Cecilie is ranked 765th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking compared to Amalie who sits at 47th.

However, Scotland’s Hannah Darling, the Girls’ Under 16 Open Champion in 2018, then ended the hopes of Leth-Nissen in the afternoon with a one-hole victory.

Seventeen-year-old Darling said: “It feels good to reach the last-16. I was just solid out there today.

“In both matches I think I was two-down after three. So I’m just really proud of how I ground it out and stuck in there.

“It’s the type of golf course where anything can happen. I wouldn’t say it is a course you can go low on. You have to grind it out and scramble.

“I heard Cecilie had a close game in the morning with her sister. I’m friends with them both, and it was then nice to have a good match against her too.

“It’s my first time in the Women’s Amateur. But it’s matchplay and I’ve done well in those events in the past. So I just have to keep it going.

“I’m probably younger than most people out there. But as my dad says, age has nothing to do it with it, and it’s about performing,”said the Broomienknowe teenager.

Florida’s Fuller still in as German marches on

ROEHAMPTON’S newly crowned English Strokeplay champion Annabell Fuller is also in the last-16.

The University of Florida ace first beat Royal Cromer’s fellow England international Amelia Williamson 2&1, and St Mellion’s Megan Giles 5&4 in the second round.

Of the other leading qualifiers, Whitley Bay’s Rosie Belsham lost to Annabel Bailey, from Leicestershire’s Kirby Muxloe by one hole.

Bailey was then knocked out by Kent’s Shama Dutrieux at the 23rd hole.

Italian Alessia Nobilio, the World No. 5, quietly went about her work to reach the last 16. Meanwhile two German players – Paula Schulz-Hanssen and Aline Krauter – also progressed.

Schulz-Hanssen, who has already won the Swiss Amateur title this year, was delighted with her progress.

She said: “I’m happy to be in the last-16. I played pretty good today.

“I played 32 holes in the two matches and I had 12 birdies and only four bogeys. It is tough playing 36 holes in the one day.

“I was level par for the strokeplay qualifying, but today was even better,” said last year’s European Young Masters winner.

“The course is so beautiful to play, so amazing. There are so many holes where you can really attack the flag.

“If you hit good shots, you can get good results. It’s my first time playing in the event and I’m playing well,” said Schulz-Hanssen, a member of Europe’s 2019 Solheim Junior Cup team.

Humphreys waiting for putts to drop

ESSEX’S Lily May Humphreys, the highest-ranked English player in the field, now faces Schulz-Hanssen in Friday’s showdown.

The Stoke-by-Nayland player who was runner-up to Price at Woodhall Spa, said: “It feels really good. It’s my best so far in this championship.

“I haven’t done that great in it before. Hopefully I can carry on through tomorrow to the semi-finals,” added Humphreys, who won the Irish and Welsh Strokeplay titles last year.

“I feel like I played solid today, tee-to-green – just didn’t hole a massive amount of putts,” Lily May added.

“It was less breezy out there today. A little drizzle in the afternoon, but the conditions were better.”

Meanwhile Italian Carolina Melgrati also exited at the 19th to Wales’ Ffion Tynan.

Tynan continued her form as she defeated Berkshire’s Irish international Laura Webb, the oldest player in the field at 57, with a 2&1 victory against the East Berkshire veteran.

Webb was named captain of Ireland’s national team for 2020 and won the Irish Seniors championship in 2019.

That win completed the first-ever Irish Ladies slam by winning the Girls, Women’s and Over 50s titles during her career.

West Lancashire’s Hollie left to Muse after defeat

THERE was disappointment however for West Lancashire’s Hollie Muse and Scotland’s Hazel MacGarvie, who were knocked out at the last-64 stage.

The other England players still in the hat are Carus Green’s Caitlin Whithead after her wins over Scot Lorna McClymont, from Milngavie, by 4&3 – and last year’s English Amateur Champion Ellen Hume, from Mill Green, in Hertfordshire, by 4&2.

Fourteen-year-old Chiara Noja, who was born in Germany and raised in the UK, faces another teenager in Nobillo.

The latter is the current Italian and Portuguese Amateur Stokeplay Champion.

Dutrieux, from Wrotham Heath, will play another Italian in the shape of Emilie Paltrinieri, last year’s German Girls Champion, after her win at the fifth extra hole.

The matchplay continues, with the last-16 and quarter-final ties played, ahead of Saturday’s semi-finals and the 18-hole final.

There are significant rewards for the champion with exemptions into the AIG Women’s Open and traditionally, the US Women’s Open, The Evian Championship and Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.

•Follow live scoring at RandA.org as well as on The R&A’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

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Amateur Championship could ‘return to straight knockout format’ at Birkdale

THE first round of strokeplay qualifying at The Amateur Championship and The Women’s Amateur Championship was abandoned late on Tuesday afternoon.

The start of play was delayed by two hours in the morning due to inclement weather.

Following a second suspension of play this afternoon at both courses – Royal Birkdale for the men and West Lancashire for the women – the decision was made to cancel the first round and all scores from Tuesday’s play.

A cut in both championships will now be made after one round of stroke play qualifying to be played tomorrow (Wednesday August 26).

The top 64 players and ties will go through to the matchplay stage. The top 64 players will also progress to matchplay at The Women’s Amateur.

The normal field for the men’s event was cut in half when The R&A decided to abandon its normal policy of playing the qualifying event at two nearby venues.

Providing the first round is completed at both Lancashire courses on Wednesday, the preliminary round and second round will be played on Thursday, with the last 32 and 16 taking place on Friday.

The quarter and semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday with a 36-hole final in both championships set for Sunday.

The men’s winner will secure an exemptions to The 2021 Open Championship and the US Open, and by tradition, an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament.

The women’s champion will be invited to play in the 2021 AIG Women’s Open, and can expect an invite to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which was inaugurated in 2019.

•Tee times for Royal Birkdale are available at www.randa.org and for West Lancashire by clicking here.

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Amateur Championship could ‘return to straight knockout format’ at Birkdale

COULD the Amateur Championship be reverting to a simple knockout format due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic?

The R&A has abandoned plans to use two courses – as it has for the past 36 years – to stage its traditional 36-hole qualifier, leading to a knockout matchplay for the top 64 players.

Instead of using West Lancashire and Royal Birkdale golf clubs to stage the 125^th Amateur Championship, the event will now be held exclusively at the latter from August 25-30.

With a normal entry of 288 players from all over the world, this year’s Amateur Championship looks almost certain to revert to a straight knockout.

Royal Birkdale cannot physically stage 36 holes of qualifying and five rounds of matchplay – before a 36-hole final on the last day – within the allotted six days.

The only alternative would be for the R&A to slash the number of entries in half – if it wanted to maintain the qualifying format played over the first two days.

The latest changes to the blue riband event on the amateur calendar – which has been won by Hampshire golfers in two of the last four years – were announced on Tuesday.

The R&A would not be drawn on the likely format for the revised championships.

An R&A spokesman told Golf South: “We are aiming to open entries for both championships next week – at which time the terms of competition will be published.

“We are in the process of finalising our arrangements for both events and will be able to confirm these next week.”

Corhampton’s Scott Gregory with his 2017 Masters invite after winning the 2016 Amateur Championship, beating Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre in the final at Royal Porthcawl.
Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

Using Lancashire venues allows R&A to ‘concentrate its resources’

WITH the rejigged England Golf schedule, the country’s top amateurs will have a run playing the Brabazon Trophy – two weeks after the English Amateur Championship at Woodhall Spa – followed by The Amateur at Royal Birkdale.

The winner of The Amateur would normally play in that summer’s Open Championship, and traditionally receives an invite to The Masters the following April, before also being offered a place in that year’s US Open.

The Women’s Amateur winner normally earns a start in the Women’s British Open – the 2020 Major is scheduled to be played the weekend before at Royal Troon.

What exemptions the 2020 winners of both Amateur Championships will earn has not yet been announced.

R&A executive director Duncan Weir said: “We have been working hard to make sure we can deliver The Amateur and Women’s Amateur championships in August in as safe a manner as possible for players and officials.

“With that in mind, we plan to stage both championships at neighbouring venues in the north west of England so we can concentrate our resources in one area.

“We look forward to staging these great championships which will provide an opportunity for the leading players to compete at the highest level and – if eligible – stake their claims for places in the Walker and Curtis cups as well as other international matches next year.”

Both championships were moved back from their respective dates in June to August at the end of April.

The stunning West Lancashire Golf Club, which will now host The Women’s Amateur Championship from August 25-29, after The R&A switched it from Kilmarnock (Barassie)

Women’s Amateur switches to West Lancashire from Barassie

WHILE West Lancashire will play no role in the Amateur, it will now host the Women’s Amateur Championship instead, over the same week.

West Cornwall’s Emily Toy had been due to defend the crown she won last year at Royal County Down, at Kilmarnock (Barassie) this month.

The Scottish venue will now host the 2021 Women’s Amateur from June 12-18 while Conway GC, in North Wales, will now host the 41st Curtis Cup from September 3-5, next year.

The biennial clash between the defending champions the USA and Great Britain and Ireland, was cancelled back in April after discussions with the USGA.

Mr Weir added: “We are also delighted to confirm the dates for the Curtis Cup match and look forward to welcoming the players of both teams to Conwy in 2021.”

IN other developments, the Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur Championships – which had been due to have been played in the middle of August – have both been cancelled.

The Girls’ Amateur was won in its centenary year at Panmure GC by Slovenia’s 15-year-old Pia Babnik, while the Boys’ crown went to France’s Tom Gueant at Saunton, in North Devon.

•The Amateur Championship was played as a straight knockout from 1885 onwards until the 36-hole strokeplay was introduced in 1984 at Formby and Southport & Ainsdale.

The final was contested by future Ryder Cup captains Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie – with the Spaniard claiming the famous trophy.

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The 168-yard par three, fourth hole at Nairn GC which will host the 126th Amateur Championship in 2021. Picture by DONALD FORD IMAGES / The Nairn Golf Club

THE R&A has announced the venues for its amateur championships and international matches in 2021 – which include some of the most prestigious courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

Nairn, in the north of Scotland, will host The Amateur Championship for the second time 27 years after Dorset’s Lee James triumphed over Scotland’s Gordon Sherry 2&1, in the 36-hole final.

The qualifying rounds will also be played at Nairn Dunbar. It will be the 126th staging of The Amateur Championship, which features a field of 288 world-ranked players.

The winner earns a place in The Open and the following year’s US Open. Traditionally, the winner also receives an invitation to the Masters Tournament.

Hampshire produced back-to-back champions in 2016 and 2017 with Scott Gregory beating Robert MacIntyre at Royal Porthcawl, while Harry Ellis triumphed at Royal St George’s 12 months later, and is the last English winner.

Hunstanton in Norfolk, will host The Women’s Amateur Championship for a sixth time – and first since 1972 when Essex’s Mickey Walker successfully defended her title defeating France’s Claudine Clos-Rubin.

It will be the 118^th staging of The Women’s Amateur Championship which features a field of 144 world-ranked players.

The winner earns a place in the AIG Women’s British Open, US Women’s Open, The Evian Championship and Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.

R&A executive director Duncan Weir said, “We are delighted to be taking our 2021 championships to venues of the highest quality that will challenge the world’s leading men and women amateurs.”

“Our aim is to provide the opportunity for those players to compete with their international peers and to show how good they are.

“Selecting outstanding venues is key and we are delighted to have such a strong schedule for 2021.”

Elsewhere, 2021 will see Kent’s Royal Cinque Ports, in Deal, and Sandwich’s Prince’s host the Boys’ Amateur Championship for the first time.

The links courses on the Kent coast will welcome the world’s leading boy golfers who will compete in the championship 100 years after it was first played at Royal Ascot.

The Girls’ Amateur Championship will be played at Fulford, in Yorkshire, and the Girls’ U16 Amateur Championship will be played at Staffordshire’s Enville – both venues hosting the championships for the first time.

The Men’s Home Internationals will be played at Surrey’s Hankley Common, which hosted the English Amateur Championship won by Stoke Park’s 16-year-old Conor Gough, in August.

Elsewhere, the Boys’ Home Internationals will be played at Trentham, in Staffordshire, the Women’s and Girls’ Home Internationals at Ganton, in Yorkshire, and the Women’s and Men’s Senior Home Internationals at Machynys, in Wales.

On the international stage, Great Britain and Ireland teams will compete against the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy (Boys) in Sweden,

The Vagliano Trophy (women) and The Junior Vagliano Trophy (girls) both take place in Switzerland.

The men’s team will compete against the United States of America in the Walker Cup at Seminole, Florida, with the biennial clash moving from its traditional September date to avoid the southern state’s hurricane season.

The full schedule of tournaments is:–

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