Alessia Nobilio showed why she is the highest-ranked player in the field for the centenary R and A Girls’ Amateur Championship with a sterling performance at Panmure today to finish as the leading qualifier amond the 64 who go forward to the match-play stages.
Nobilio, who hails from Milan, compiled a six-under-par round of 65 to move to 11-under-par for the championship and secure her place in the last 64, one shot ahead of her nearest rival Lucie Malchirand from France.
Nobilio’s blemish-free card
Ranked sixth in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Nobilio did not drop a shot in the two stroke-play rounds and four birdies in her opening six holes in benign conditions at the challenging Angus links this morning set her well on her way.
The winner of the Italian Ladies stroke-play championship and the Citta di Milano Trofeo Gianni Albertini as well as a member of the winning Continent of Europe Vagliano Team in June picked up further shots on the 10th and 11th to coast home.
Slovenia’s Pia Babnik, the Helen Holm Scottish women’s open champion, qualified comfortably with a three-under-par total of 139 following a one-over-par 72, two shots clear of Germany’s Christin Eisenbeiss.
Broomieknowe’s Hannah Darling qualified as the leading Scot on level par after a two-over-par 72. The two-time Scottish Girls’ Amateur Champion traded four birdies with six bogeys. She was the only Scottish make the cut.
The cut fell at nine-over-par with former champions Emilie Paltrinieri and Lily May Humphries qualifying on three-over and seven-over respectively.
The qualifiers will each be looking to follow in the footsteps of the four past champions in this event who were named in the European Solheim Cup team this week: Georgia Hall, Suzann Pettersen, Anna Nordqvist and Azahara Munoz.
Each match will consist of one round of 18 holes including Saturday’s final. The winner will receive exemptions into the 2020 Womens Amateur Championship at Kilmarnock (Barassie) and the Augusta National Womens Amateur Championship.
