Northern Ireland teenager Beth Coulter shot rounds of 69 and 70 to lead the way in the Women’s Amateur Championship strokeplay qualifiers at Prince’s.
The 19-year-old Arizona State University student was the best of the top-64 players and ties, and progresses to the matchplay stage.
Coulter finished on five-under total, three shots better than a group of players in tied second.
“Both days I hit good shots – it’s nice to be top qualifier,” she said.
Coulter, runner-up in the R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship in 2021, excelled in sunny conditions on the Kent coast as she followed up an opening 69 with a 70 on Wednesday.
She added: “It’s nice to lead the strokeplay qualifying but it doesn’t mean anything now. It doesn’t matter if you’re one or 64. It’s just about qualifying.
“I definitely didn’t hit it as good as I hit it on Tuesday, but I hit some nice shots coming in and rolled a few putts in to make birdie and hung on for pars.”
New women’s amateur world number one Ingrid Lindblad was in the group on two under along with Scotland’s Hannah Darling, American Latanna Stone and Sera Hasegawa from Japan.
