Aline Krauter claims 117th Women’s Amateur Championship

Stanford’s Aline Krauter claimed her first major title at West Lancashire in Liverpool on Saturday. The German national defeated 2019 champion Emily Toy (England) in the morning’s semifinal match 2&1 to earn her spot in the 18-hole final on Saturday afternoon. Her opponent? Englishwoman Annabel Fuller. Fuller cruised to the final match with a morning win against Italy’s Emilie Alba Paltrinieri 5&4. Krauter fell 3 down quickly through the first four holes. Despite the deficit, Krauter was confident in her abilities to mount a comeback. “I was three down early, but I didn’t panic,” Krauter told the R&A. “It was a rough start but I knew that I had my game and I had played well all week. I wasn’t really worried at that time. I made a great putt from off the green on the ninth which was good.” Snagging her first win on the par-5 5th with a birdie, Krauter took another birdie win on the par-3 6th to trim Fuller’s lead to just 1 up. Turning the match on its head, Krauter tied the match on the par-4 8th to get the match back to all square before she tallied another birdie win on the aforementioned par-4 9th to obtain her first lead of the match. With five wins over a six-hole stretch (Nos. 5-10), Krauter never looked back. With a par win on the par-4 10th, Krauter had all the momentum she needed to ice last week’s English Women’s Open Amateur Stroke Play champion in Fuller. Extending her lead to 3 up on the par-3 12th with a par, the match then turned stagnant over the next three holes. Not going down without a fight, Fuller made a valiant effort to mount a comeback of her own with a birdie win on par-5 16th and a par on the par-3 17th, cutting Krauter’s cushion to just 1 up as they headed to the 18th tee. “I hit a bad shot on the 16th and 17th wasn’t great as I had a bad lie in the bunker,” Krauter said. “But on the 18th I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared for a two-putt. It ended up working out.” Settling her nerves, Krauter was able to two-putt for par and halve the last for a 1 up championship victory. With the win, Krauter is now exempt (as an amateur) into the AIG Women’s Open, U.S. Women’s Open, The Evian Championship, and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. “I’m now so excited to play in the AIG Women’s Open,” Krauter exclaimed. “I’m honored. I watched Sophia (Popov) win last week, it was amazing. I had a club fitting with her in February before COVID-19 when everything was fine. To play in the event next year at Carnoustie will be amazing.”