Chloe Goadby faced off both the favourite and then her best friend in two matches at Gullane to claim the biggest win of her career at the Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship.
The 23-year-old from the St Regulus Club in St Andrews defeated her friend Tara McTaggart in the afternoon final 4 and 3. She’d earlier beaten St Rule Trophy winner Hannah Darling by a handsome 5 and 4 in the semi-final.
Goadby was the beaten finalist the last time the championship was played in 2019 – at Barassie, host of the British Women’s Amateur this week. She’s been a consistent presence in women’s amateur golf in Scotland but without the big win, until now.
‘This win is pretty special’
🏆 | CHAMPION!
Congratulations to @chloegoadby, your 2021 #SGWomensAm Champion.
More reaction from @GullaneGolfClub to follow. pic.twitter.com/S1qLJDQZiU
— Scottish Golf (@ScottishGolf) June 6, 2021
“I’ve had some good runs in the Scottish and also done well in the qualifying only to go out early in the match-play stage,” she said.
“In the final in 2019 against Kimberley (Beveridge), it was such a close game and she hit a great shot on 18 to win it. It’s amazing to get the job done this week and it definitely makes up for that.
“This win is pretty special and is probably the best one of my career. I’ve not had many wins at national level, to be honest. My biggest success was probably being in the Yale Collegiate Invitational when I was at Stirling University.”
Lack of competition in the last 18 months has been a bind for most of the Scottish amateur women, but Goadby’s seem to have emerged okay.
She was in imperious form to beat the heavy favourite Darling in the morning semi-final. Although the final was all square at the turn, three successive hole wins took her out to a position of control.
‘My first event of the year was last weekend’
“Usually at this stage of the year, we’d have had a good run of tournaments by now,” she pointed out. “My first event of the year was the St Rule last weekend. There were a couple of good rounds but also a disaster in the middle.
“I fought my way through the qualifying and then through a couple of tough matches on Saturday. That boosted my confidence.
“Probably my best golf of the week was against Hannah. I knew that was always going to be a tough match.
“Tara is my best friend and you could not have written it for us to meet in the final. It was just a case of keeping my head down and not getting ahead of myself.
“I got off to a solid enough start, capitalised on a couple of mistakes from her around the turn.
“A couple of birdies and holing a couple of clutch putts on 12 and 13 were important.”
Heading to British Women’s at Barassie
👏 | Congratulations to Katy Alexander, your 2021 Clark Rosebowl Champion here at #SGWomensAm.
More reaction from @GullaneGolfClub to follow after the Final between @chloegoadby and @MactaggartTara. pic.twitter.com/czywlMXDYc
— Scottish Golf (@ScottishGolf) June 6, 2021
A long-time mainstay of the Stirling University golf programme, Goadby graduated during lockdown last year. She is now doing a Masters in Sports and Exercise Psychology – while maintaining her competitive golfing edge.
“I am literally heading straight through to Barassie for the Women’s Amateur from here,” she said. “It’s good that I know the course so well from the Scottish Amateur two years ago.”
The Clark Rosebowl consolation tournament was won by Blairgowrie’s Katy Alexander, the 2019 Scottish Girl’s champion.