Hannah Darling sets up historic round on Augusta National

Hannah Darling will create history by becoming the first Scottish woman to compete at Augusta National on Saturday after progressing to the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Hannah Darling in action during the second round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur at Champions Retreat Golf Club. Picture: Augusta National Women's Amateur

The 18-year-old Broomieknowe player set up the exciting opportunity as she came through a test of character to secure a spot in the top 30 after the opening 36 holes at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta.

Darling, the Girls’ Amateur champion, achieved her main goal for the week as the second round was completed on Friday morning after the start of play had been delayed on Thursday due to inclement weather.

Left with three holes to complete, the young Scot put herself under real pressure after restarting with a bogey before closing with two pars for a four-over 76.

Having opened with a 73, that left her tied for 21st as nine players progressed on four-over, leaving four players a shot behind involved in a play-off for the final spot that eventually went to Germany’s Paula Schulz-Hanssen as she prevailed at the fourth extra hole on her 19th birthday.

Darling, who had been in fine form for University of South Carolina coming into this event, sits five shots off the lead heading into the concluding circuit.

In preparation for that, she joined the other competitors in playing a practice round at Augusta National on Friday afternoon in a testing breeze.

Even though she missed the cut following rounds of 79-80, West Kilbride’s Louise Duncan also got to enjoy the thrill of playing at the home of The Masters as all 72 players were afforded that opportunity.

Sweden’s Beatrice Wallin (73-71) shares the lead with American Latanna Stone (72-72), but world No 1 Rose Zhang is lurking ominously on three-over. Fighting to make the cut, she showed her class by finishing the second round with three birdies.

England’s Caley McGinty sits is alongside Zhang on three-over, but her compatriot, Annabell Fuller, missed out, as did Germany’s Alexandra Forsterling and American duo Auston Kim and Amanda Sambach in the play-off.

“I'm so excited, and it's even my birthday,” said Schulz-Hanssen of winning that. “So that's like a great present for myself. I'm very excited, and I'm very proud.”

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