Sophie Lamb
(Ladies Golf Union Photo)
BELFAST, Ireland (September 2, 2016) -- Lamb shot rounds of 77-68-72-74 for a 1-under-par total of 291 at Knock Golf Club.
Runner-up was Great Britain and Irelands international Chloe Williams (Wrexham) with scores of 71-77-75-70 for 1-over 293.
Alessia Nobilio, the 14-year-old Italian who had led the field through the second and third rounds, faded as the wind rose for the final round. She had scores of 73-71-71-79 for 294 but was beaten on the better last round for third place by Georgia Price (Bude and North Cornwall), 73-72-78-71 who took third-place. Sophie Lamb started the final day one shot behind the leader, Alessia Nobilio, after a second-round 68 which stood up as the lowest round of the tournament.
Nobilio's 2-under-par 71 in the third round increased her lead to two shots with Lamb taking a 72.
There was no hint at that stage that the Italian girl, so steady to that point, was about to unravel as the conditions became tougher. But it soon became apparent that the youngster from Milan, winner of the Belgian Girls' International Stroke Play Championship, had reached the end of her tether. She took 40 shots to the turn in the final round and was overtaken by Lamb who was out in 37.
Sophie had a bad start to the inward half with a bogey at the 10th and a double-bogey at the 12th but she steadied up with three birdies over the closing holes; a two at the short 12th, a four at the par-5 14th and a three at the par-4 18th.
A bogey at the 15th made little difference in the final analysis.
Chloe Williams, who had shared the first-round lead with a 71, returned to her best form with a closing 70, the lowest score of the final round. The Welsh player birdied the second, third, sixth, seventh and 10th in halves of 34-36. Bogeys at the first and 18th she took in her stride.
Nobilio finished with a 79 (40-39), a round which had no birdies, only six bogeys as she finished on 2-over 294.
Georgia Price matched that with her best round of the four, a 71, despite a double-bogey at the second and another shot dropped at the 5th.
The Cornwall player slipped up a gear with birdies at the 7th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 16th and 17th, offsetting a bogey at the 15th. Price had six birdies over her last 12 holes. She had three double-bogeys over the four rounds. Six shots dropped there cost her the championship. Even three bogeys instead of three doubles at these holes would have got her into a playoff with Sophie Lamb.
English-born but Scotland-based Gemma Batty (Moffat) finished fifth on 296 with a pair of 74's on the final day. She had two's at the 12th and 16th in her closing round, which cancelled out a double-bogey at the 13th.
The highest placed Irish player was Annabel Wilson (Lurgan) who finished sixth on 297 with a final round of 75 which had contrasted halves of 34 out and 41 in. After birdies at the 4th, 5th and 8th, she had bogeys at the 11th and 13th, a double-bogey at the short 16th and a bogey at the last.
There were two Italians in the top seven finishers, Alessia Cristin Avanzo finishing on 298.
The last Italian to win this championship was Anna Rossi in 2006. This was Italian players' best performance in the tournament since then.
ABOUT THE
Ladies British Stroke Play
The R&A has retired this event after its final
playing in 2017. The event, first played in 1969, is
traditionally contested at the end of the summer
season. Officials cited a crowded competition
calendar as part of the impetus to retire the event.
72 hole stroke play championship that draws an
international field.
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