Low Amateurs at the Women's British Open

The Women's British Open dates to 1976, when the Ladies Golf Union created it to carry on what had previously been the Ladies Amateur Stroke Play Championship. There were only a handful of women professionals in Britain at the time, so amateurs had very strong showings (including a few wins) for years to come.

Today, the tournament is run by the R&A and is officially known as The Women's Open (except that the tournament name includes a title sponsor). It is one of the five major championships of women's professional golf, and achieving the distinction of being the low amateur (the amateur who finishes with the lowest score) is a big accomplishment.

What does the low amateur get? Her name in the record books, for starters. But she also receives the Smyth Salver, a platter-style trophy presented annually to the Women's British Open's low amateur (but only if one makes the cut, which is why some years in the list below are marked "none"). The Smyth Salver is named after Moira Smyth, onetime president of the organization that founded the tournament, the Ladies Golf Union, and who donated the trophy.

The last amateur to win was Marta Figueras-Dotti in 1982. Since then, the closest any amateur has come to winning was Michelle Wie's third-place finish in 2005. The 278 Wie scored that year is the record for lowest score by an amateur in the Women's British Open.

The List: Women's British Amateur Low Amateurs

2024 — Lottie Woad, 287, tied 10th
2023 — Charlotte Heath, 295, tied 61st
2022 — Rose Zhang, 285, tied 28th
2021 — Louise Duncan, 281, tied 10th
2020 — None
2019 – Atthaya Thitikul, 284, tied 29th
2018 – Atthaya Thitikul, 300, tied 64th
2017 – Sophie Lamb, 282, tied 30th
2016 – Leona Maguire, 284, tied 25th
2015 – Luna Sobron, 287, tied 13th
2014 – Emma Talley, 294, tied 17th
2013 – (tie) Georgia Hall, Lydia Ko, 294, tied 42nd
2012 – Lydia Ko, 297, tied 17th
2011 – Danielle Kang, 290, tied 49th
2010 – Caroline Hedwall, 291, tied 27th
2009 – None
2008 – Anna Nordqvist, 285, tied 42nd
2007 – Melissa Reid, 296, tied 16th
2006 – Amy Yang, 301, 60th
2005 – Michelle Wie, 278, tied 3rd
2004 – Louise Stahle, 290, tied 42nd
2003 – Elisa Serramia, 294, tied 46th
2002 – None
2001 – Rebecca Hudson, 287, tied 32nd
2000 – None
1999 – Giulia Sergas, 291, tied 24th
1998 – None
1997 – Silvia Cavalleri
1996 – Barbara Hackett
1995 – Lisa Dermott
1994 – Tina Fischer
1993 – (tie) Patricia Meunier, Joanne Morley
1992 – None
1991 – Akiko Fukushima
1990 – Sarah Bennett
1989 – Joanne Morley
1988 – Kathryn Imrie
1987 – Joanne Furby, 305, tied 13th
1986 – Vicki Thomas, 289, 5th
1985 – Jill Thornhill, 308, tied 12th
1984 – Mary McKenna, 302, 6th
1983 – Tournament not played
1982 – Marta Figueras-Dotti, 296, winner
1981 – Belle Robertson, 299, 2nd
1980 – (tie) Marta Figueras-Dotti, Belle Robertson, 295, tied 2nd
1979 – Sue Hedges, 309, 3rd
1978 — Janet Melville, 310, winner
1977 — Mary Everard, 306, 2nd (lost playoff)
1976 — Jenny Lee-Smith, 299, winner

Photo credit: "File:Michelle Wie - Flickr - Keith Allison (38).jpg" by Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0