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LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – There's a majestic portrait of Seve Ballesteros by the main staircase in the clubhouse at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
"We need to see it," Paula Martin Sampedro told her coach, Alejandro Larrazabal, after Friday's round at the AIG Women's British Open. Royal Lytham holds a special place in the hearts of Spaniards, said Larrazabal.
Sampedro, the 2025 Women's British Amateur champion, played her way into this championship last year by virtue of a top-10 finish at Royal Porthcawl that included five consecutive birdies in a back-nine 30 that was the lowest of the week. The finish, on a gusty day in driving rain, was especially poetic given that Larrazabal won the British Amateur on the same course in 2002.
Now, at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Larrazabal is once again on the bag at a course where he played in the 2022 British Amateur. It was important, he said, to have a good understanding of how the ball might react in certain situations. That's why they played 45 holes of practice in the start of the week.
The extra work is playing off early as the Stanford player finds herself in a share of seventh, five back of leader Shiho Kuwaki after an even-par 71. Sampedro, the No. 2 amateur in the world, looks to earn low-amateur honors for a second straight year and maybe more. Asked if she can win this event, she said, "I think I can. If I play my best, I definitely can, yeah."
A strong ball-striker, Larrazabal said Sampedro's driver is the only club lacking confidence. They planned to hit 40 or 50 drivers this afternoon to get it sorted. Her lag putting, he said, has been superb. She hasn't come close to a three-putt.
"I really like playing links golf," said Sampedro. "It requires a lot of creativity, strategy becomes an even more important factor."
There's great history of amateurs at Lytham, with Bobby Jones winning the Open in 1926. The first player to win the Women's British Open 50 years ago, Jenny Lee-Smith, was an amateur. Is it time for another?
Beth Ann Nichols is a senior Golfweek writer covering the LPGA and women's golf.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Amateur Paula Martin Sampedro, inspired by Seve, in top 10 at AIG Women's British Open
Continue reading...
"We need to see it," Paula Martin Sampedro told her coach, Alejandro Larrazabal, after Friday's round at the AIG Women's British Open. Royal Lytham holds a special place in the hearts of Spaniards, said Larrazabal.
Sampedro, the 2025 Women's British Amateur champion, played her way into this championship last year by virtue of a top-10 finish at Royal Porthcawl that included five consecutive birdies in a back-nine 30 that was the lowest of the week. The finish, on a gusty day in driving rain, was especially poetic given that Larrazabal won the British Amateur on the same course in 2002.
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Now, at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Larrazabal is once again on the bag at a course where he played in the 2022 British Amateur. It was important, he said, to have a good understanding of how the ball might react in certain situations. That's why they played 45 holes of practice in the start of the week.
The extra work is playing off early as the Stanford player finds herself in a share of seventh, five back of leader Shiho Kuwaki after an even-par 71. Sampedro, the No. 2 amateur in the world, looks to earn low-amateur honors for a second straight year and maybe more. Asked if she can win this event, she said, "I think I can. If I play my best, I definitely can, yeah."
A strong ball-striker, Larrazabal said Sampedro's driver is the only club lacking confidence. They planned to hit 40 or 50 drivers this afternoon to get it sorted. Her lag putting, he said, has been superb. She hasn't come close to a three-putt.
"I really like playing links golf," said Sampedro. "It requires a lot of creativity, strategy becomes an even more important factor."
There's great history of amateurs at Lytham, with Bobby Jones winning the Open in 1926. The first player to win the Women's British Open 50 years ago, Jenny Lee-Smith, was an amateur. Is it time for another?
Beth Ann Nichols is a senior Golfweek writer covering the LPGA and women's golf.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Amateur Paula Martin Sampedro, inspired by Seve, in top 10 at AIG Women's British Open
Continue reading...
