Louise Duncan Staring At Ending 39-Year Amateur Double Drought At AIG Women’s Open

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Top Scottish amateur Louise Duncan not only looks assured to win the ‘Low Amateur’ medal but also could become the first amateur in 39-years to win the coveted AIG Women’s Open crown at Carnoustie.

Duncan, 21, grabbed six birdies in a four-under par third day 68 to end the round sharing fourth place at seven-under par and just two behind the leading duo of Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (65) and Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68).

Amateur Louise Duncan shows her delight in holing out for birdie at the 18th on day three of the AIG Women’s Open (Photo – LET Twitter)

Nordqvist’s round is the lowest of the week and the 34-year-old double major winner capping her round with three birdies in succession from the sixth hole.

The pick of Duncan’s birdies was landing a 155-yard, 6-iron second shot to just a few feet at the last that drew warm applause for the West Kilbride star in the wet and miserable conditions.

Duncan said: “It was so nice to birdie 18 as I felt like I was due a putt.

“Looking back on the three rounds my putting has been really solid and just all my game, really. Today, I hit the ball great and drove the ball really nicely”.

Duncan, and reigning Women’s Amateur champion, seems guaranteed the ‘Low Amateur’ medal as she’s 10 shots clear of Irish amateur, Lauren Walsh back at three-over while the only other amateur in the field, England’s Annabell Fuller is at four-over.

And if she were to win, Duncan would be the first amateur since Spanish amateur Marta Figueras-Dotti won by a shot in 1982 at Royal Birkdale.

She said: “It would be great heading down to Wales with the ‘Low Amateur’ medal but then who knows what is going to happen tomorrow as Carnoustie has a record for disasters.

“It’s been great for the three amateurs that have got through to the weekend as it’s given us a good bit of confidence going down to Curtis Cup”.

And the Stirling University student singled out caddy and former European Tour winner, Dean Robertson for praise who, for 11-years has been the University’s highly successful coach.

 

Duncan said: “Dean’s been fantastic this week in caddying for me and helping out, and I really owe him a lot this week.

“My golf game has improved and developed so much year-by-year and thankfully I was picked for a few teams, and that’s helped my game so much”.

Fellow Scot Kelsey MacDonald capped her third day with a chip-in eagle at the par-5 14th on route to a 71 and heads to day four at level par.

MacDonald said: “The eagle on 14 was a very good shot. It was actually on a downslope on the back of the bunker, the spectacle bunkers, and it was pretty good”.



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