Annabell Fuller has admitted she feels privileged to have been crowned English Women's Open Amateur Stroke Play champion. Rounds of 71, 68, 73 and 70 at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club left the 18-year-old six-under par for the week.
Fuller – a member at Roehampton Golf Club - finished three shots clear of nearest challenger Emma Allen. Allen finished four-over in her final round and three-under par for the week.
Fuller performed to a high standard in wet and windy conditions on the Somerset coast – including today’s 36-hole finale to the 72-hole stroke play event. Despite the challenging climate, she avoided big scores on her card, holed clutch putts and was deservedly left holding silverware after a testing day which saw the field play 36 holes.
“It’s amazing, I can’t express how amazing it feels,” said the Surrey golfer.
“You come up here and you never really know what will happen. Only one person wins out of 120 or so it’s a great achievement.” After a difficult start this morning with three bogeys on the first three holes, Fuller showed she had the grit and determination to bounce back with an eagle on the fourth and birdies at five and seven.
“The fourth is a par five, I thought if I can pick up a shot here and try to strike it a bit better and hole a few putts, then I could get back in to it." Fuller’s closest competitor, Stoneham Golf Club’s Allen, held a three-shot lead heading into the final round.
However, the Roehampton Golf Club player got off to a flying start in the final round, going four-under through the front-nine. “My approach heading into the final round changed slightly,” she confirmed
“I tried to make sure that in the beginning I didn’t drop any shots, the front nine is a lot easier as it’s down wind. “I tried to make a couple of birdies which thankfully I did and that got me rolling on to the back nine." A bogey finish on the 18th wasn’t enough to spoil the party for the member of the England Women’s Overseas squad who believes the win is hard to top so far in her fledgling career.
“It’s definitely one of my best wins, I mean the English Women’s Open is such a huge title,” she said with a smile. “I feel so privileged to be able to have won it myself.”
With torrential downpours yesterday (Wednesday), Fuller was one of only four players in the field who finished under par for the week. The others were Allen (-3), England and Essex player Lily May Humphreys and Gloucestershire’s Caley McGinty (both -1).