Amy Taylor arrives at this week’s Buccellati Ladies Italian Open carrying happy memories of Italy and fresh inspiration from home as she looks to defend the title she captured two years ago.
The 25-year-old from Norwich secured her maiden Ladies European Tour victory at Golf Nazionale in 2024, producing a memorable performance to claim the Italian Open crown. Now, with the championship returning at Golf Club Milano, Taylor is preparing for a new challenge while embracing the opportunity to defend a title for the first time in her professional career.
“It’s exciting to defend my title,” said Taylor. “It was two years ago and a completely different venue, but I’m really happy to be back in Italy and it feels good.”
The Englishwoman believes accuracy will be key around the tree-lined layout at Golf Club Milano, where small greens place a premium on precision iron play.
“The golf course is really nice and the greens are small, so I feel like if you hit the green you have a good chance of birdie, which is nice,” she explained. “The key seems to be keeping the ball in play and then hitting these tiny greens.”
While Golf Club Milano presents a different test to Golf Nazionale, Taylor does see one similarity that could play to her strengths.
“There are a few wedges and I remember hitting a lot of good wedges at Golf Nazionale, so hopefully I can recreate those good wedge shots,” she said. “There are a lot more trees here and it is a bit different.”
Having lifted the trophy in Rome two years ago, after stepping up from the LET Access Series, where she won the 2022 season-ending Calatayud Ladies Open, Taylor admits the prospect of retaining the LET title is providing extra motivation.
“It’s really exciting,” she said. “It’s a position I’ve never been in. I won on the LET Access Series, but I then moved up to the LET, so I never got the chance to defend. It’s cool to be in that position and I’ve heard a lot of people want to win this title, so I’d quite like to defend it and keep it for myself.”
Away from the golf course, Taylor has been taking in the sights and flavours of Italy. After exploring Milan during the opening days of Fashion Week, she planned a visit to Lake Como on the final practise day before the tournament tees off on Friday.
“We went into Milan on Tuesday afternoon and it was so busy with Fashion Week,” she said. “We got to see the Duomo and have some gelato. I went with the Thai girls and they cooked Korean barbecue. It’s a bit niche to have Korean barbecue in Italy, but I’m hoping we get some good pasta at Lake Como tonight.”
Taylor’s preparations have also been buoyed by a major milestone for her husband, fellow professional golfer Sandy Scott. The Scot earned his PGA Tour card in dramatic fashion on Sunday after claiming his maiden Korn Ferry Tour title at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in Ohio.
The victory completed a remarkable comeback story for Scott, whose career has been repeatedly interrupted by injury. Scott spent 17 months away from the game between 2020 and 2022 after tearing ligaments in his right wrist, requiring two surgeries. He also missed six tournaments earlier this season because of the recurring wrist problem.
“To be in the position he’s in, to get his PGA Tour card is amazing. It’s a credit to the golf he’s been playing and I’m really happy for him,” said Taylor.
Fellow Englishwoman Charlotte Heath claimed the La Sella Open on the LET on Sunday, a week after her partner Frederik Kjetterup won on the HotelPlanner Tour, which has provided additional inspiration.
“That’s what I’m hoping,” she said, when asked about following their double success with another back-to-back couple victory. “He’s inspired me and they’ve inspired me. I can’t let him take all the glory, you know. I have to have some credit for myself.”
Taylor and Scott, who met whilst studying at Texas Tech University and married in December last year, have become experts at balancing life on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Despite competing on different tours, they have managed to see each other roughly one week per month this season.
Their celebrations will have to wait a little longer, however. With Scott remaining in the United States to complete his Korn Ferry Tour season and Taylor heading to Korea after Italy, the newlyweds are planning a combined delayed honeymoon and PGA Tour card celebration in Madeira following the LET’s Aramco China Championship.
For now, Taylor’s focus remains firmly on the challenge ahead at Golf Club Milano, where she hopes Italy can once again provide a special chapter in her career.
