American amateur ace shines at Muirfield on back of Curtis Cup fireworks

Two high-quality stroke-play qualifying rounds, which included no less than three holes-in-one, are a taste of things to come in the 123rd Women’s Amateur Championship at Muirfield.

American Farah O’Keefe maintained her good form to ease through qualifying at Muirfield in The Women’s Amateur Championship, aided by her caddie. | The R&A

The R&A event is being held at the East Lothian venue for the first time and attracted a record 276 entries. As was the case with the historic staging of the AIG Women’s Open in 2022, competitors are rising to both the challenge and the occasion.

Lily Hurst, a 23-year-old from Huddersfield, secured the medal honours in the stroke-play phase, making a total of 11 birdies over the course of two days in posting rounds of 70-66 for a six-under-par total.

American Farah O’Keefe maintained her good form to ease through qualifying at Muirfield in The Women’s Amateur Championship, aided by her caddie. | The R&A

“I’m really happy with that,” admitted Hurst of shining brightest in the glorious sunshine on Scotland’s Golf Coast. “It’s amazing, especially on such a prestigious golf course at such a prestigious event. This kind of tournament is on everyone’s radar, especially if you’re British. It’s one that everyone wants to get their hands on.”

Hurst played on a Great Britain & Ireland team captained by Catriona Matthew in the Curtis Cup in Los Angeles. Winning five out of five matches, American Farah O’Keefe was the star of that show and she could be the star of this one as well.

Three holes-in-one at Muirfield

O’Keefe, last year’s beaten finalist at Nairn, followed an opening 71 with a 66, which was illuminated by an eagle at the par-5 17th, to end up as one of Hurst’s closest challengers.

“I think all of the energy and the good vibes from (the Curtis Cup) have kind of stuck around for this week,” admitted world No 3 O’Keefe, who was among five of the top ten on WAGR and 11 from the top 20 in the starting field on Monday.

Two others - Rianne Mikhaela Malixi of the Philippines and Swede Meja Ortengren - also posted five-under aggregates while Spaniard Paula Martin Sampedro, the defending champion, and 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur winner Anna Davis progressed in the top ten as well.

Only Scot - Melrose member Sheridan Clancy - will be involved in the knock-out stage, which starts on Wednesday, after Dunfermline’s Jennifer Saxton missed out in a nine-player play-off for the final six spots.

French player Louise Depadt aced the 7th in the second round after two of her compatriots, Vairana Heck and Giselle Zhao, also recorded holes in one in the opening circuit.