Sophia Fullbrook could not believe her eyes when she caught sight of the leaderboard. “I noticed Amelia was at the top and thought it said she was one-under,” she said. “But then I got closer and it said she was five-under. After seven. And I was like, ‘wow!'”.
From there, Wan’s morning on the South Course here at the stunning Quinta Do Lago resort, got increasingly spectacular. Three more birdies in the next seven holes and she was eight-under.
“I knew it was scoreable with perfect conditions, but it was getting a bit silly at that stage,” Wan said. “I got a bit wobbly on the last few, but managed to get it at seven-under. It was an amazing day.”
The 65 gives the 15-year-old a three-shot lead over Fullbrook, the reigning English Girls champion, with Eve Neild on two-under and Charlotte Naughton the only other girl under par.
Beautiful backdrop: Portugal’s stunning Quinta do Lago course, host of the 2022 Junior Golf finals
Credit: Getty
Wan’s highlight came on the par-five fifth. “I striped my drive and then hit a five-wood from 240 yards to a foot,” she said. “It’s great when you have an eagle putt that close. My putting was good. I made a 10-footer for birdie on the first and didn’t really look back from there.
“I was at a five-day England training camp at Woodhall Spa last week and that has made me feel really sharp. It also made me feel really tired, as well, though. When we got here on Monday, I had an 11-hour sleep. I needed it and it paid off today.
“It’s early doors – there are two rounds still to go – so I’m not going to allow myself to think of winning yet, but this would mean so much to me and I’d be very proud. It would be by far the biggest moment of my career so far.”
Wan’s ambition is to go to college in the United States on a golf scholarship. It has been for as long as she can remember. “I was going down the range with my dad from the time I could walk,” she said. “I got my first handicap at nine, got down to scratch when I was 12 and now I am off plus-three at Sherwood Forest.”
Yorkshire tee: Dylan Shaw-Radford in full swing
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In the boys competition here in the Algarve, it is a Yorkshire 1-2-3 with Dylan Shaw-Radford and Jake Wallis leading the way on three-under and Habib Khan on one-under. Defending champion Harley Smith is in the group on level par on a congested leaderboard.
Qualifying has now closed for the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship 2022. Golf’s junior major will once again take place at Quinta do Lago from 31 October – 4 November 2022.
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