Meadow is British Amateur Champion

Photo: LGU

Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow is the new Ladies British Open Amateur champion. She beat Spain's Rocio Sanchez Lobato 4 and 3 in the final at Carnoustie this afternoon with an impressive display of sub-par golf at at the gallope - the match was completed in under three hours.

The 20-year-old from Jordanstown, a student at the University of Alabama and No 20 in the World Amateur Rankings, was three up after only six holes against her 19-year-old Spanish opponent, Rocio Sanchez Lobato from Marbella and the University of Georgia, ranked No 193.

Both players started a shade nervously and took three shots apiece to reach the putting surface at the first hole. But Meadow rammed home her 8ft putt to win the hole with a par 4.

She doubled her lead with another par at the second and after a half in birdies at the third, Meadow surged three up with a birdie 3 at the fourth.

The Spanish girl got on the scoreboard at the fifth, winning that hole to cut her deficit to two. Meadow was bunkered off the tee at the fifth.

But the confident Meadow, with her dad Robert as her caddie, was not to be dented. She won both the sixth and seventh with par figures to be four up on the eighth tee. Lobato was almost out of bounds off the tee at the sixth and completely mishit her third.

Lobato was not ready to throw in the towel, however. She hit back with a birdie 2 at the short eighth to be three down. 

The ninth was halved in pars, leaving Meadow in the strong position of three up at leathe turn.

After a half at the 10th, Meadow went four up with her third birdie of the round at the 11th.

Again her Spanish opponent countered with a winning birdie, at the 12th to pull Stephanie back again to a three-hole lead. Meadow birdied the short 13th - almost holing her eight-iron tee shot - to be four up with five to play.

In a quality finish to an absorbing final, the 14th was halved in birdie 4s and then the 13th in par, leaving Meadow - who estimated she was three or four under par - the winner by 4 and 3.

The victory earns Stephanie a place in the field for the Ricoh Women's British Open at Hoylake in September.