The Women's Amateur Championship

AYRSHIRE, Scotland – Eastern Kentucky senior Ragnhildur Kristinsdottir won the stroke play portion of the 118th British Women's Amateur Championship at the Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club.  Along with 63 others, Kristinsdottir will now play in the match play portion of the event, which concludes on Saturday.
 
Kristinsdottir began play on Monday with a first round score of 74 (+1).  On Tuesday, the Reykjavik, Iceland native took the lead after a second round 7-under 66.  Her second round included eight birdies.  Kristinsdottir had three birdies and a bogey on the first nine holes and made the turn at 2-under.  She birdied five more over the final nine to go 7-under for the round.
 
With a two-round stroke play total of 140 (-6), Kristinsdottir finished two shots in front of Amy Taylor (142) and Hannah Darling (142).
 
The winner of the British Amateur gains entry to the AIG Women's Open, U.S. Women's Open, The Evian Championship and Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship as well as lifting the historic trophy.
 
"I got the putter rolling pretty quickly," Kristinsdottir told the R&A web site (Randa.org).  "I hit the ball pretty good and managed to keep myself out of trouble but all props to the putter today.  I made a few of the mid-range putts in the 15-30 foot range."
 
The Women's Amateur Championship was founded in 1893 by the Ladies Golf Union and was first played at Royal Lytham and St. Annes with Lady Margaret Scott crowned the champion.
 
Kristinsdottir led Eastern Kentucky and the conference with a 72.89 scoring average this past season, 1.2 strokes lower than any other player.  She earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors for the third straight year and set a new program record for single season stroke average.
 
The match play stage gets underway on Wednesday with each tie consisting of one round of 18 holes with the final on Saturday played over 36 holes.  The 36-hole final round will air live on The R&A's YouTube and Facebook accounts as well as on randa.org.  Kristinsdottir will face Aine Donegan of Ireland in the first round.  Donegan placed 64th in stroke play with a 36-hole total of 159 (+13).