Tag: Gemma Dryburgh

Gemma Dryburgh wins again, this time making history at Royal St. George’s

Gemma Dryburgh hoisted a trophy at the first women’s professional event ever held at Royal St. George’s, a Rose Ladies Series event.

Only one player broke par on a windy and historic day at Royal St. George’s. Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh won her second consecutive Rose Ladies Series event with a 1-under 69, clipping England’s Charley Hull and Georgia Hall by one stroke. Both Hall and Hull are winners on the LPGA, with Hall, of course, winning the 2018 AIG Women’s British Open.

Dryburgh, a former standout at Tulane, found out earlier this week that she’ll be playing in her first Women’s British Open next month at Royal Troon. Surely hoisting a trophy at the first women’s professional event ever held at Royal St. George’s bodes well for her upcoming debut.

After all, Royal St. George’s was set to host the men’s British Open next week before COVID-19 canceled those plans. This marked the fourth event on the Rose Ladies Series, which has eight total.

Dryburgh has history at Royal St. George’s, having competed there at the 2014 British Ladies Amateur, the same year she represented Great Britain and Ireland at the Curtis Cup. The previous trip helped with the fact that she didn’t have a practice round at Royal St. George’s this week. She instead warmed up with a Clutch Pro Tour event at Sunningdale Health, finishing tied for ninth in a mixed tournament won by Will Percival.

On Wednesday after an LPGA player meeting, Dryburgh booked her ticket to the U.S. She’ll quarantine for two weeks in Texas before heading up to Toledo, Ohio, for back-to-back events as the LPGA reboots its 2020 season. She’ll then travel back home to Scotland for two more events, a most welcome homecoming in these uncertain times.

Dryburgh has come a long way since she was hitting balls in a homemade backyard net last April, wondering when she’d get to play golf again. Two trophies later, she’s ready to get back on the LPGA.

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LPGA player Gemma Dryburgh wins third event on Rose Ladies Series, edging Georgia Hall

LPGA player Gemma Dryburgh claimed the third event on the Rose Ladies Series, holding off former AIG Women’s British Open champ Georgia Hall

LPGA player Gemma Dryburgh claimed the third event on the Rose Ladies Series with a 3-under 69, holding off former AIG Women’s British Open winner Georgia Hall and Cara Gainer, who turned pro last fall, by one stroke. The 18-hole event took place at Buckinghamshire Golf Club and featured the likes of Dame Laura Davies, Charley Hull and Bronte Law.

Scotland’s Dryburgh is now second on the tour’s Order of Merit behind Hull. Liz Young, co-creator of the series, is third.

Dryburgh earned 5,000 pounds for her efforts. Amerian Golf stepped up to sponsor an Order of Merit race after Justin Rose and his wife Kate put in 35,000 pounds to help create the series.  The Order of Merit winner will receive 20,000 pounds while 10,000 goes to second and 5,000 to third.

This marked Hall’s first appearance on the English tour. Earlier this week she told the Telegraph Sport that she planned to compete in the remaining six events, which included Buckinghamshire.

“As far as British women’s golf goes, this field is as good as it gets really and I’m excited about being part of it,” Hall told Telegraph Sport. “Initially, I wasn’t sure going to play at all in the series and instead just practie hard for when the Tours resume.

“But I played in a pro-am in Worplesdon last week and I absolutely loved having a scorecard in my hand again. It had been more than four months and I didn’t realize how much I’d missed competition.

“Plus the first winners gave the series great exposure and I figure that as Justin and his wife have done so much to get this on, not only putting in their own money but also attracting a couple of sponsors, I should turn up and I’ll play in every one of them from now.”

Hull won the series’ first event and the LET’s Meghan MacLaren won the second.

On Wednesday, organizers announced that a third day of competition had been added to the Rose Ladies Series Grand Final. In addition to Berkshire and Wentworth, the last event will also be held over North Hants Golf Club, where Rose grew up playing golf.

“I wanted the Grand Final to best replicate the playing conditions these professionals will be going back to over the coming weeks on tour and by adding an extra day, with a cut, it felt like we were doing just that,” said Rose in a release.

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