Lily May Humphreys took the lead with three holes to play in the Rose Ladies Series event – but Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

ESSEX’S Lily May Humphreys further underlined her career potential as she pushed for victory and fell just short of the winning total posted by Gemma Dryburgh in the third event of the Rose Ladies Series.

The 18-year-old England women’s international is no stranger to the top of leaderboards having won the 2019 Welsh and Irish Ladies Opens, the Annika Europe event.

And, just prior to lockdown in March, she reached the final of the Sunningdale Foursomes.

Coming down the stretch at the Buckinghamshire Golf Club, the teenager – one of only three amateurs in the field of 54 – harboured genuine dreams of winning her first professional event.

In the end, plus-six handicapper Humphreys had to settle for a one-under par round of 71 and a tie for fourth alongside Woburn’s LPGA winner Charley Hull.

Scotland’s Dryburgh carded six birdies in a round of 69 to edge one ahead of English duo Georgia Hall and Cara Gainer.

Gemma Dryburgh emerged victorious in the third Rose Ladies Series event. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

That was two clear of Humphreys in another fine all-round showing from England’s top women amateurs.

Ellie Gower also sealed a tie for eighth after a level-par round and Hertfordshire’s Hannah Screen recovered from two bad holes on the front nine to come home in 34 for a total of four-over par.

Humphreys in lead with three to go

HUMPHREYS proved to be a model of consistency on the front nine with eight straight pars.

The run ended on the ninth – not that the golfer from Stoke-by-Nayland GC was upset.

A birdie two on the 175-yard par three allowed her to reach the turn in 36.

A bogey five at the 10^th was swiftly remedied with a birdie at the next hole.

Another run of four pars then put England Golf’s 2019 Women and Girls’ Order of Merit winner firmly in contention for victory.

In fact, the Curtis Cup player was tied for the lead with three others after 15 holes.

She then took solo charge with another birdie two at the 161-yard 16^th hole as she moved to two-under.

A bogey five at the 17^th hole halted her charges.

Back-to-back birdies from Hall on the 13^th and 14^th holes allowed the 2018 Women’s British Open champion to take a familiar place at the top of the leaderboard – before being pipped in a dramatic finale.

Humphreys, though, can take great heart from her performance proving once again why she is ranked 18^th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Gower gave everything alongside Georgia

Ellie Gower – who plays for University of Colarado Boulder – played in the same group as runner-up Georgia Hall, the former Women’s British Open winner – and finished eighth. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

GOWER birdied the fifth, ninth and 14^th holes in a fine level-par 72 around a course that has been used for US Women’s Open qualifiers.

The 17-year-old can be proud of ending the day in a tie for eighth.

For the second week running in this series, two England amateurs have achieved top 10 finishes.

Last week sisters Samantha and Annabell Fuller finished tied for second and seventh respectively at Moor Park Golf Club.

Gower, studying at the University of Colorado Boulder, didn’t panic after dropping three shots in her first three holes.

In fact she displayed skill and heart to bounce back into contention while playing in a group also containing former British Open champion Hall, and Chloe Frankish, who joined Gower on level-par.

Screen, who moved to Oklahoma University as a junior in September, was left to rue two disappointing holes on her front nine as she made a competitive return to golf after lockdown.

The England Women’s Overseas Squad player counted the cost of slips at the first and seventh holes en route to a round of 76.

Birdies at the fifth, 11^th and 15th holes, as well as the experience of teeing it up alongside Hull and Essex’s Gabriella Cowley will stand the 20-year-old Oklahoma University student in good stead as she heads to next week’s Faldo Series event at Brockett Hall.

•The Rose Ladies Series continues next week with a visit to Royal St George’s Golf Club, at Sandwich, in Kent – the venue for the 2021 Open Championship.

Final scores from The Buckinghamshire click here

Hannah Screen bounced back after some errors on the front nine but came home in 34. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

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