Canadian women back at British Amateur

The Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship didn’t have any Canadian entries at last year’s tournament. The entire women’s national amateur squad is making the trip this time around.

Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee, Ottawa’s Grace St-germain and Naomi Ko of Victoria will lead Canadian hopes starting Tuesday at the Hillside Golf Club.

“They all have the appropriate game to come and play well here,” said Canadian women’s head coach Tristan Mullally.

The tournament’s first stage includes two rounds of 18-hole stroke play on the championship links course. The field of 144 will be trimmed to 64 for the match play stage. Each round of match play will consist of 18 holes leading up to Saturday’s final.

The event shares top billing with the U.S. Women’s Amateur as the premier events in women’s amateur golf.

“With match play, it’s always a bit of a challenge because you can play well in stroke play, play great golf and still get beat,” Mullally said from Southport, England after walking the course with the Canadians during their practice rounds. “But (we’ll) worry about that in a couple of days.”

The picturesque course features several elevated tees with many holes overlooking the Irish Sea.

The early weather forecast is calling for warm, sunny conditions with little wind.

Szeryk is the top Canadian on the women’s world amateur golf ranking list at No. 16 while Lee, who finished tied for 35th at this month’s Meijer LPGA Classic, holds theno.40position.koisatno.176 and St-germain is ranked 247 th.

Szeryk closed out her college career with a tie for 17th at last month’s NCAA Championship.

Marlene Stewart Streit was the last Canadian to win the Ladies’ British Open Amateur. She posted a 7-and-6 victory over Philomena Garvey in 1953.