Strauss knocked out at Aussie Amateur Open

South Africa’s Bertine Strauss claimed a top 10 finish to make match play field in the Australian Women’s Amateur, but Yumi Matsubara from Japan ended the Rustenburg golfer’s campaign after an epic second round tussle at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney on Thursday.

Strauss opened with a three over 77 at The Lakes course on Monday and rallied with a one-under-par 72 at the Australian course to vault to a tie for seventh in the 36-hole qualifier.

The University of Texas senior signed for a two-over-par 149 to finish six strokes behind top qualifier So-Young Lee from South Korea.

Only the leading 32 players progressed to elimination match play, which meant an early departure for Lora Assad, Ivanna Samu and Eleonora Galletti on Tuesday.

Texas State University student Assad came within a shot of making the top 32 after rounds of 80 and 76. Samu, the reigning Sanlam SA Women’s Amateur champion, carded rounds of 77 and 82 and Africa Youth Games bronze medallist Eleonora Galletti followed an opening 89 with a second round 80.

Strauss cruised into the top 16 after defeating Korea’s Hey-Jin Choi 5 & 4, but the 22-year-old Koster golfer lost 1-down to Japan’s Matsubara in a tightly-contested second round battle.

Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of Womens Golf South Africa.