Woad and Hansson crowned Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur 2022 Champions
Lottie Woad and Albert Hansson were crowned Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur champions on a historic day at Carnoustie.
In the 36-hole finals, England’s Woad defeated Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio from Spain 7&6 to win the 93rd Girls’ Amateur Championship. In the all-Swedish showdown between good friends, Hansson overcame Didrik Ringvall Bengtsson 2&1 to win the 95th Boys’ Amateur Championship.
Woad was six-under-par for her 12 holes in the afternoon to ease to victory, while Hansson fought back from three down with eight to play to triumph.
It was a day for the history books over the famous Angus links as the finals were played alongside each other for the first time. In another first, both finals were also live streamed on The R&A’s website at www.randa.org as well as on The R&A YouTube channel.
Hansson, 18, who attends the same school in Helsinborg as Ringvall Bengtsson, joins a roll of honour that includes Matt Fitzpatrick, Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal and is the first Swedish winner since Marcus Svensson in 2015.
Woad, 18, a member at Farnham in Surrey, joins a winners’ list that includes major champions Georgia Hall and Anna Nordqvist and, more recently, Pia Babnik, already a two-time winner on the Ladies’ European Tour. Woad follows the last English winner, Lily May Humphreys, in 2017.
Lottie Woad said: “I thought it was going to be close after the morning round but I got a few good birdies and holed some putts to give me some more breathing room in the afternoon. I didn’t really miss a fairway in both rounds and was hitting approach shots close to make the putts.
“We both played well so it perhaps looks a bigger win than it was, as we did exchange birdies. There was no real wind so it was perfect. It’s amazing to add my name to the trophy, I can’t believe it – it’s great.
“Winning the gold medal at the Europeans with England was the highlight of my career but this might top it now. It’s been a good year with a busy run of events. I’m glad to finish it off with victory in I think my last junior event.
“I wasn’t really thinking about the exemptions to come, but instead focused on the match play. My dad has been here the whole week and we’ve got family in Edinburgh who came to support me too.”
