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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