YOUNG TOPS AIG WOMEN’S OPEN FINAL QUALIFIER

Liz Young

England’s Liz Young fired a round of 65 (-7) at Final Qualifying yesterday at North Berwick to secure her place for the 2022 AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield.

The Englishwoman topped the leaderboard with Swedish amateur Ingrid Lindblad in second place having carded a 66 (-6) and Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup was third with a round of 67 (-5).

India’s Diksha Dagar finished in a tie for fourth place with American Lauren Coughlin on four-under-par, and the LET winner had five birdies and one bogey on her scorecard.

While Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom and England’s Hayley Davis will also both play at Muirfield are ending the day one three-under-par alongside American duo Janie Jackson and Jennifer Chang.

After all rounds were complete six players, who finished on two-under-par, had to contend in a play-off with only three places up for grabs for this week.

And it was Chinese Taipei’s Pei-yun Chien, France’s Celine Herbin and India’s Aditi Ashok who all secured their spots.

English amateur Emily Price, France’s Pauline Roussin and Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol head into the AIG Women’s Open as reserves as does China’s Yu Liu.

But it was a flawless day for Young who rolled in five birdies and also made a hole-out eagle on the fourth to book her place in the final Major of the year.

“Playing up the first and second it was quite windy, so pretty hard. I was thinking level-par would be a good round,” said Young.

“But I made a 60-foot putt on the second for birdie and then an eagle two on the fifth when I holed my 9-iron.

“Suddenly that kickstarted things and then I really played safe and capitalised on the par-5s coming in. It’s exciting to go to Muirfield.”

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