Melanie Green wins Women’s Amateur for first American victory in 28 years

PORTMARNOCK, Ireland — Melanie Green became the first American in 28 years to win the Women’s Amateur Championship, making birdie on two of the last three holes for a 2-up victory over Lorna McClymont of Scotland in a see-saw match at Portmarnock.

Green, a 22-year-old from New York and recent University of South Florida graduate, rallied from 4 down through eight holes at the start to square the 36-hole match after the morning session. Then it was McClymont to had to come back from a 3-down deficit.

McClymont birdied the 15th to go 1 up, only for Green to square the match with a birdie on the 16th, take a 1-up lead when the Scot took bogey on the 17th. The American closed out the match with a 20-foot birdie putt on the last.

Green is the first American to win the Women’s Amateur, which dates to 1893, since Kelli Kuehne in 1996 at Royal Liverpool.

The victory gives Green a spot in the next two LPGA majors, the Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women’s Open, along with two more majors next year at the Chevron Championship and U.S. Women’s Open.

She also can play the Augusta National Women’s Amateur unless she chooses to turn pro.

The Women’s Amateur was held at Portmarnock for only the second time since 1931. The British Amateur was held on the Irish links in 2019.