Louise Duncan Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

LOOK: Strong field unveiled for Women’s Scottish Open

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:33:47 +0000

The field is set for this week’s 2023 Women’s Scottish Open with seven of the world’s top 10, 19 major champions, including Open champ Celine Boutier, and 19 Solheim Cup stars unveiled for the Dundonald Links showdown from August 3-6.

Scottish No.1 Gemma Dryburgh enjoying her best major finish to date at the Amundi Evian Championship at the weekend (T-8), will be joined by compatriots Louise Duncan and Heather Macrae. Duncan won the 2021 Women’s Amateur Championship to qualify into the 2021 Women’s Open where she finished tied 10th to win the Smyth Salver award for low amateur. The 23 year old turned professional ahead of last year’s event and has earned three top-15 finishes this season.

“Last year’s Women’s Scottish Open was my first start as a professional and a huge life moment for me,” Duncan said. “Hopefully I can use what I’ve learnt from the first year of being professional to have a great week at my home open.”

Stirling native Macrae has made over 60 starts on the Ladies European Tour including a T-6 finish at the 2013 Women’s Scottish Open. In 2019, Macrae was diagnosed with cervical cancer and just two weeks before a major operation she won the WPGA Championship to book a place on the Women’s PGA Cup team later that year.

Invitations have been awarded to Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan, Virginie Ding and Wei Wei Zhang who are not otherwise exempt into the field this year. Chan, a two-time Olympian and winner of the 2016 Hong Kong Ladies Open, will be making her second appearance at the Scottish Open. Ding is a junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville who recently won the Women’s Orlando Amateur Championship. The 21-year-old earned top-10 finishes at both the 2022 and 2023 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship and will be making her debut on Scottish soil. Zhang is playing her second year on the LPGA after winning five-times on the CLPGA, including four times in 2019. Her win at the Trust Golf Thailand LPGA Masters made her the first player to win four times in one season on the CLPGA.

Women’s Scottish Open field
Weiwei Zhang
Tiffany Chan
Ginnie Ding
Heather Macrae
Louise Duncan
Chiara Noja
Celine Herbin
Laura Fuenfstueck
Alexandra Forsterling
Nanna Koerstz Madsen
Gemma Dryburgh
Mel Reid
Celine Borge
Daniela Holmqvist
Emily Kristine Pedersen
Matilda Castren
Sarah Kemp
Stephanie Kyriacou
Linn Grant
Atthaya Thitikul
Esther Henseleit
Charley Hull
Lee-Anne Pace
Carmen Alonso
Diksha Dagar
Kristyna Napoleaova
Lisa Pettersson
Patricia Isabel Schmidt
Pauline Roussin
Ashleigh Buhai
Lily May Humphreys
Maja Stark
Aditi Ashok
Johanna Gustavsson
Manon De Roey
Ana Pelaez Trivino
Magdalena Simmermacher
Meghan MacLaren
Caroline Hedwall
Liz Young
Alice Hewson
Tiia Koivisto
Morgane Metraux
Leonie Harm
Klara Davidson Spilkova
Olivia Cowan
Ursula Wikstrom
Ines Laklalech
Pia Babnik
Gabriella Cowley
Nicole Garcia
Becky Brewerton
Linnea Strom
Bronte Law
Casandra Alexander
Anne-Charlotte Mora
Laura Beveridge
Michele Thomson
Anna Nordqvist
Kim Metraux
Virginia Elena Carta
Emma Grechi
Cara Gainer
Eleanor Givens
Nicole Broch Estrup
Elin Arvidsson
Rosie Davies
Hannah Burke
Lydia Hall
Agathe Sauzon
Chloe Williams
Celine Boutier
Pamela Pretswell Asher
Sophie Witt
Felicity Johnson
Madelene Sagstrom
Kylie Henry
Sarah Schober
Christine Wolf
Pernilla Lindberg
In-Kyung Kim
Jana Melichova

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Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open: Michele Thomson guns for glory at home

Matt Smith — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 09:19:30 +0000

By Matt Smith
Michele Thomson has had a consistently strong season so far in 2022 — now she is aiming for the winner’s circle at home in Scotland.

Three top-10 finishes alongside two additional top-15 finishes has put the Scot in a great position with the final part of the season to come.

And Thomson, who hails from Aberdeen, hopes that with her consistency she will soon be able to take home a trophy.

“I’m happy with how my season is going so far, I think I’ve had a pretty steady start and I’m just doing everything I can to get better,” she said. “Hopefully the results will continue, and a win is only around the corner.

“The strongest part of my game has been my iron play. I’ve struggled over the last few weeks on wedge play, so I’ve been dialling that in.”

With the LET having such a strong season with 34 events on the schedule, the Scot has played in 16 events and recently had some time off.

After finishing T12 at the Estrella Damm Ladies Open, Thomson put down her golf clubs and enjoyed herself in Barcelona before heading back home to prepare for her next stint on the road.

“I stayed on an extra few days for a nice holiday and some site seeing in Barcelona after my last event in Sitges,” she continued. “The season has been pretty hectic so far, so I deserved a little break with no clubs.

“I’ve had a really nice week at home catching up with my coach Spencer Henderson and physio Aimee Clark at Spear. It’s just nice to get things back on track and they have helped me do that before the next few weeks.

“I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing links golf courses in Aberdeen, so I’ve played Murcar Links and Royal Aberdeen to prepare for the next few weeks ahead.”

Thomson is one of six Scots who will tee it up at Dundonald Links from July 28 for the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open and it is a welcome return to links golf.

She added: “I always love playing in Scotland, it’s really nice playing in front of family and friends and you always feel like the crowd are right behind you. I love links golf and using my imagination to play different shots.

“It’s been a while since I’ve played Dundonald but I’m excited to see how they are going to set the course up. I’m expecting the weather conditions to be quite tough and a challenge for us all.”

Fellow Scot Louise Duncan last week announced that she will make her professional debut at this week’s tournament after receiving a sponsor invitation.

Duncan, a Stirling University graduate, transitions into professional golf after a stellar amateur career winning the 2021 Women’s Amateur Championship, the R&A Student Tour series in Portugal, and the Smyth Salvar award last year after finishing T10 at the Women’s Open in Carnoustie.

Growing up just 15 miles away from Dundonald, Duncan benefits from extensive experience in links golf and is one of the six Scots in the field that will be in the running for the Jock MacVicar Leading Scot award.

“I have been thinking about making the transition into professional for quite some time now and it just feels so right to be making my professional debut at my home open and also at a club which is just down the road from where I grew up learning to playing golf,” she said.

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Scotland’s Louise Duncan to turn pro ahead of 2022 Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open

Matt Smith — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 07:41:56 +0000

By Matt Smith
Louise Duncan has announced that she is set to make her professional debut at next week’s Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, taking place at Dundonald Links, just days after turning pro. Duncan is one of two recipients of VisitScotland’s sponsor invitation along with Aberdeen native Hannah McCook.

Duncan, a Stirling University graduate, moves into professional golf after a stellar amateur career, winning the 2021 Women’s Amateur Championship, the R&A Student Tour series in Portugal, and the Smyth Salvar award last year following a T-10 at the Women’s Open in Carnoustie. Growing up just 15 miles away from this year’s championship venue Dundonald Links, Duncan benefits from extensive experience in links golf and is one of the six Scots in the field that will be in the running for the Jock MacVicar Leading Scot award.

Professional debut on home soil ??????? Coming soon @LouiseeDuncan.#TGWSO #TheTrueTest pic.twitter.com/f6BuaQe6aD

— Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open (@Womens_Scottish) July 19, 2022

“I am honoured to have been chosen as one of VisitScotland’s Invitations for this year’s Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open,” the 22-year-old said. “I have been thinking about making the transition into professional for quite some time now and it just feels so right to be making my professional debut at my home open and also at a club which is just down the road from where I grew up learning to playing golf. I am so excited to make my first professional appearance in such a strong competitive field and at an amazing venue like Dundonald Links”.

McCook, also a University of Stirling graduate and was the captain of the Ladies Golf Team winning both the British University Championship and the Scottish University Championship. In 2018 she reached the final stage of the Ladies European Tour qualifying school and shortly after made the decision to turn professional.

Duncan and McCook will be joining their fellow Scots Gemma Dryburgh, Michele Thomson, Kelsey MacDonald and Kylie Henry in the 144-player field competing for $2 million, which includes eight out of the world top 10, 21 major champions and 27 Solheim Cup stars.

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Scottish college girl finds herself contending in Women’s Open

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 05:03:25 +0000

Louise Duncan reacts as she finishes the third round of the Women’s Open. Andrew Redington

By John Huggan
Louise Duncan arrived in Carnoustie with two aims. First, make the halfway cut in the AIG Women’s Open. And second, claim the Smyth Salver awarded to the low amateur. What wasn’t going through the 21-year-old Scot’s mind was adding a major championship victory to the Ladies British Amateur title she won two months ago. That was unthinkable—“daft” was the word she used after completing a third-round 68—in what is her first, albeit unpaid foray into the world of professional golf.

Time to reassess.

With 18 holes to play in 2021’s final major, Duncan is seven under par, two shots off the lead held by Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen and in a tie for fourth place alongside the likes of Lexi Thompson and Sei Young Kim, both major champions. Heady stuff indeed for the Sports Science student at the University of Stirling in Scotland.

Cheered on by a vocal home crowd, the wee lassie from West Kilbride in Ayrshire (a few miles up the coast from Troon) made six birdies during a dreich Caledonian summer day, the overcast sky providing conditions that alternated between damp and soaking wet. Two shots were dropped, but the rousing birdie Duncan made on the 430-yard closing hole was greeted by what was easily the loudest roar of the day.

“That felt a bit surreal,” she said with a disarming shrug. “I almost didn’t hear it. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I didn’t hear it. So, it would be great to watch the footage back and just be able to relive that for the rest of my life. It’s been a great week so far, and all the support out there has been fantastic. It’s been really good to have them out there cheering me on. They definitely keep me more positive than if I was by myself.”

Leading that fan base is Duncan’s caddie, Dean Robertson. A former Walker Cup player and Italian Open champion, the Scot is now the high-performance coach at Stirling.

“The whole focus this week was to go out and enjoy the experience,” said Robertson. “Louise is an athlete. She works hard on all aspects of her game and in the gym. Her clubhead speed is up there with the boys. No matter how she plays [Sunday], the experience here is going to stand her in good stead. She’s straight into the Curtis Cup next week and she’s going to have a feeling of really belonging there. That’s important. She just needs a little bit more belief in herself, a little bit more self-confidence.”

One more 68 and that head space shouldn’t be a problem. Although there will definitely be at least a financial downside, whatever happens over the closing 18 holes. For Duncan, there will be no check, only glory. Reminded of that fact, she feigned indignation.

“I’ll be drowning my sorrows tomorrow I think, tears rolling down my face,” she said with a smile. “Whatever happens, happens. I’ll just try to not look at what I could have won.”

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