Sana Tufail shot seven-under par through her final 36 holes on the last day of the English Women’s Amateur Open, as her magnificent charge helped her finish fourth in one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments for ladies in Europe.
The 19-year-old Abu Dhabi-based golfer made up for two indifferent rounds on the first two days of the championship at the internationally acclaimed and historical Bristol and Clifton Golf Club with rounds of four-under par 69 and three-under par 70 in the final two rounds.
An unexpected bogey on the 15th in the last round derailed an otherwise stellar effort to claim podium position as she finished on two-under par (75, 76, 69 and 70). She made a total of 19 birdies in the tournament, which boasted a strong field of 110 of the best ladies in Europe and further afield.
Tufail was five-under par after nine holes in her third round and the last-36 hole total of seven-under was the best last day performance in the field by some distance.
The tournament was won by England International Emily Price on seven-under par and with scores of 74, 67, 72 and 72. Georgia Price, who was leading after the third round, took the runner-up spot. She shot a course record 65 on day 2, but struggled to a 77 in her final round.
This was Tufail’s second top-10 finish in four international tournaments this summer, and the multiple time Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit champion said: “I worked hard at Yas Links just before the tournament before leaving for England and was pleased to see my game come together just before going back to College Golf in America.
“I was disappointed to drop a few shots in the early rounds, but the course was very fiery and you had to adjust for at least 15-20 feet of release on the greens. It was a real test of golf out there, all credit to Emily in playing consistently over four rounds to win.”
Tufail, who is attached to Yas Links Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, was the EGF Ladies Order of Merit Champion for the three consecutive years and has won over 30 Ladies Open events in the UAE. She is currently on a university golf scholarship at Old Dominion University in Virginia.
