Mannat creates history by reaching Round of 16 at Women’s Am

Mannat Brar with her father on the bag at the 122nd Women’s Amateur Championship in Nairn, Scotland. Image courtesy IGU.

By Rahul Banerji

Mannat Brar produced a memorable performance at the 122nd Women’s Amateur Championship in Nairn, Scotland, before losing narrowly in the pre-quarter finals. 

Mannat’s feat of reaching the Round of 16 at the Women’s Amateur is the best ever by an Indian, bettering that of Aditi Ashok who reached the Round of 32.

The Pune-based golfer, who was third at the R&A Girls a year ago, was 16^th in the strokeplay competition and then won her first two matches to reach the last 16, the IGU said.

She beat Germany’s Uma Bergner 5&4 in the Round of 64 on the first day of matchplay, going five up with four holes left to wrap up the match.

The next day, Mannat played two matches. First the 17-year-old came from behind to beat Ireland’s Rebekah Gardner on the 21^st hole after being 3-down with three holes to go. 

Tight finish

She won the next three to get into extra holes. Both players parred the first extra hole and bogeyed the next one. On the third attempt Mannat parred and Rebekah bogeyed, handing the match to the Indian.

In the Round of 16, Mannat again trailed by three holes after 10 holes against Spain’s Paula Francisco before winning the 11^th with a birdie, the 13^th with a par and the 15^th with a birdie to get to all square. 

The duo parred the 16^th and the 17^th to stay level before the Indian teenager went down narrowly on hole 18.

Francisco next faces an all-Spanish quarter-final against Paula Martin Sampedro.

Big prizes 

The winner of the championship gains entry to the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship, the US Women’s Open, the Chevron Championship and, by tradition, an invitation to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Mannat is India’s top amateur and the all India champion. She was ranked 389^th in the world and recently teed up at pro events on the Ladies European Tour’s Access series and also made the cut at one of them.

Last year she finished T11 in the Hero Women’s Indian Open, a Ladies European Tour event as.the best-placed of the home contingent despite being an amateur.

Also read: Ranveer, Krish finish fifth at APGC team event, girls eighth