THE WELSH Women’s Open Strokeplay Championship has been won by Lily May Humphreys, as she continued her remarkable winning streak.
The 17-year-old secured her first Welsh title in impressive style with a four-shot victory, her closest competitor being her England teammate, Bel Wardle.
Humphreys, from Stoke-by-Nayland in Essex, added the trophy at Royal St David’s to no less than five other victories in English, Scottish, British, European and American championships, taking her to the top of the amateur game.
In 2016, aged just 14, she played in her first British Girls’ Championship at Royal St David’s – simply aiming to gain experience.
Her impressive quarter-final finish gave her the springboard she needed, and she returned the following year to win the event at the age of 15.
“I was very pleased, I really wanted to win this because I have good memories of playing the course in my first R&A event three years ago,” said Humphreys on her latest victory.
“I’ve started hitting some good form and it was nice to combine it all.”
After winning titles all across Britain – and across the water – Humphreys is aiming for yet another amateur title in Ireland as she targets their open championship.
The Welsh title certainly provided a stern test for the field across the weekend, with breezy conditions resulting in gusts of 25mph and the course playing particularly difficult across the opening six holes.
Despite this, Cheshire’s Wardle was able to shoot an opening round of 66, but faded on the second day as Humphreys jumped into the lead with a pair of 70s.
Both players’ shot 69 on a challenging final day, with Humphreys posting a winning score of ten-under for the 54-hole event.
She said: “I tried not to think about the lead, but just to keep on as I had been playing.
“I wanted to make my pars and give myself birdie opportunities on the par-5s.
“That was what I was focusing on and the strategy worked.”
It was a successful week for English players in general, as another four women finished in the top ten of the Welsh Women’s Open Strokeplay Championship.
Yorkshire’s Charlotte Heath finished in an impressive fourth, Cara Gainer of Berkshire secured seventh, and Emily Brennan and Georgina Blackman shared tenth place respectively.
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