A dozen determined players have punched their tickets to the 2024 AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, earning their spots through the Final Qualifying round held at Crail Golfing Society’s Craighead Links.
Among the 92 hopefuls, it was China’s Weiwei Zhang who emerged at the top, delivering a stellar five-under-par 67.
Zhang’s round was highlighted by four birdies and a spectacular eagle on the par-5 8th hole, securing her a well-deserved spot in the iconic tournament.
Weiwei Zhang, “I played great today and holed some important putts. It was very windy and so it was hard out there.
The pin positions were tough to reach. However, the practice I had helped me and I got to know the course beforehand.
“I’m very excited to be playing at St Andrews as this will be my first major championship and obviously the first time playing in the AIG Women’s Open.
I have prepared for this for some time and I can’t wait to play this week.”
Hot on Zhang’s heels were Casandra Alexander, Annabell Fuller, Kristen Gillman, and Emma Grechi, all finishing just one stroke behind with a four-under-par 68.
The tightly contested leaderboard saw these four players tie for second place, each displaying remarkable composure in challenging conditions.
Kristen Gillman, “I had a really solid round with no bogeys. I went out with the mindset of not having anything to lose so I tried to go out there and make birdies. It was pretty windy out there towards the end so at that point, I was just looking to make pars.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun to play St Andrews. It’s such an iconic course. I’ve never played there so I’m excited to see it.
I played the Women’s Scottish Open last week so felt like that was good preparation for today and the week ahead, knowing how much the wind affects the ball. You got to get as many rounds as you can to prep for golf in Scotland.”
Further down the leaderboard, four players—Lauren Hartlage, Noora Komulainen, Lee-Anne Pace, and Patricia Schmidt—posted solid rounds of two-under-par 70, finishing in a tie for sixth place.
The battle for the final three qualifying spots came down to a nail-biting sudden-death playoff among twelve players.
In the end, it was Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Stephanie Meadow, and Ursula Wikstrom who held their nerve to claim the last coveted places in the field.
These twelve players now join the elite roster of 144 competitors who will tee it up at the legendary Old Course at St Andrews from August 21-25, 2024, all vying for the prestigious AIG Women’s Open title.
