Four Representing Women's Golf at European Amateur
TURIN, Italy – Four members of the Sun Devil Women's Golf program are competing at the 2021 European Ladies' Amateur Championship, taking place July 21-24 at Royal Park I Roveri Golf & Country Club.
The Maroon & Gold are once again well represented at the Continent's top female amateur event, as Linn Grant and Amanda Linner (Sweden), Alessandra Fanali (Italy), and Alexandra Forsterling (Germany) will briefly switch from teammate to foe over the next few days.
"Wishing the best of luck to the four golfers who are representing their countries at the European Championships," Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye remarked. "We are extremely proud of our tradition of developing talented European golfers and preparing them to be professionals."
Coming off leading Arizona State to a Top-5 national finish, the four Sun Devils will now represent their countries at the highest amateur level. This will mark the third consecutive appearance in the event for Linn Grant and Alessandra Fanali, who each finished in the Top-15 in last year's edition. Grant was the sixth-place finisher thanks to her 274 (-10), giving her another Top-10 finish at this event. In the 2019 edition, Grant finished in a tie for fifth. Fanali joined Grant in the Top-15 (T-13th) after carding a 278 (-6), improving her finish by 31 positions compared to the 2019 event.
First played in 1986, the championship regularly attracts the top amateur players from across the continent. 144 players representing 27 different countries will compete in the four-round stroke play event, which features a 54-hole cut for the top-60 and ties. Results from each day can be found at the following link.
Five of the world's top-10 amateurs will tee it up in Italy this week. Arizona State's own Linn Grant is at the top of that group, coming in at No. 3. Her fellow Swedes Ingrid Lindblad, Maja Stark and Beatrice Wallin are all ranked inside Europe's Amateur top-five and will look to give Sweden a first title in the event since Caroline Hedwall in 2009.
Joining Grant in the Top-100 is Alessandra Fanali, who is one of 21 other players ranked inside the top-100 of the WAGR will also compete for the title of European champion this week. Among them is defending champion, Paula Schulz-Hanssen, who won the trophy at CUBO Golf in Slovenia last September. Schulz-Hanssen's victory earned her a spot in the AIG Women's British Open to be played in a month's time at Carnoustie. A spot at next year's British Open is up for grabs yet again.
Sun Devil Women's Golf has enjoyed a history of success in this event, with Carlota Ciganda winning it 2004 & 2008 and Anna Nordqvist finishing third in 2005.
The field will be playing the Allianz Course, one of two courses at Royal Park I. The par-72 course is consistently ranked amongst the best in Italy.
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