Hannah Darling is first Scottish winner of Girls Amateur Championship for 20 years

Hannah Darling of Broomieknowe poses with the trophy following victory in the R&A Girls Amateur Championship at Fulford. (Photo by Jan Kruger/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

The 18-year-old Broomieknowe Golf Club member and former Lasswade High School pupil fought off a late comeback bid from Ireland’s Beth Coulter to take the title by two holes.

Darling started the week with selection for the Great Britain and Ireland team for this month’s Curtis Cup at Conwy in Wales– and ended it in style with a superb victory at the same York course where she also beat Coulter to win the R&A Girls’ U16 Amateur Championship at Fulford in 2018.

Darling lived up to her status as the highest-ranked player in the field – she is currently ranked 27th in the world.

So far this year she has also won the St Rule Trophy, finished runner-up at the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Championship, and reached the semi-finals of The Women’s Amateur Championship and Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship.

The first Scottish winner of the Girls’ Amateur since Clare Queen in 2001, Darling also sealed exemptions into the R&A Women’s Amateur Championship, the US Girls’ Junior Championship, AIG Women’s Open Final Qualifying and, by tradition, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

"It’s amazing to win at Fulford again, I honestly can’t believe it,” she said.

"I felt very nervous before I played today and I holed a really good putt on the first to settle me. I’ve putted well all week and knew I had to get off to a strong start.

“Against Beth, the story couldn’t be better. I really did think it might be her time today after three years ago.

“Coming back from the Covid-19 lockdown, you’re almost unsure how it is going to go as I hadn’t played competitive golf for so long. But I put the hard work in with my coach Ian (Muir) and I knew my game was in a good place. All season I don’t think I’ve been outside the top three.”

Looking ahead to the Curtis Cup, she said: “I can’t wait. Conwy is going to be amazing. I’m obviously bringing some form in, as are others, so hopefully it will go in our favour.

"Augusta National is an incredible place with a lot of history and I just can’t wait to play there too.”