Ella Scaysbrook’s remarkable debut at the US Women’s Amateur continued its fairy-tale trajectory with the Newcastle golfer surging into the quarter-finals at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.
The Australian Golf Club member showcased the same steely resolve that carried her through qualification drama, delivering back-to-back demolitions that have established her as one of the tournament’s most impressive stories.
In her round of 32 encounter with Avery Weed of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Scaysbrook got off to an explosive start. A birdie blitz through holes three, four, and six put the Mississippian on the back foot immediately, with Scaysbrook making the turn three up and firmly in control.
A familiar pattern – early aggression, sustained pressure, and clinical finishing seems to be working well for the 19-year-old.
It appeared briefly that when Weed won the 10th hole ( the first Hole Scaysbrook had lost for the week), that momentum might shift. However, Scaysbrook’s response was emphatic. A birdie on the par-three 12th re-established her commanding lead.
The match was effectively over when Scaysbrook won the 14th with a routine par, demonstrating the consistent golf that has carried her this far. Fittingly, she closed out the 4/3 victory on the 15th with a bogey, a result that mattered little given the comprehensive nature of her performance.
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If the morning session was impressive, her round of 16 demolition of California’s Jasmine Koo was also dominant. Again, Scaysbrook struck early with a birdie on the third hole, before systematically dismantling her opponent’s resistance.
The middle stretch proved decisive. Wins on the fifth with a par, sixth with a birdie, and eighth with another par left Koo in deep trouble. Even when the Californian managed to win the ninth, Scaysbrook still held a three-hole advantage.
The killer blow came at the 13th, where another birdie extended her lead to four up. A par on 14 maintained the advantage, before Scaysbrook closed out a 4/3 victory with a bogey on 15.
“I definitely knew I could do it,” Scaysbrook said after advancing to the final eight. The confidence wasn’t misplaced bravado but rather the quiet assurance of a player who has found her rhythm on golf’s biggest amateur stage.
Scaysbrook’s ability to jump ahead early and maintain pressure has proven devastating against quality opposition and sent a clear message about her resolve.
The conditions at Bandon Dunes – windy, challenging, reminiscent of courses back here where she honed her craft seem to suit her game perfectly. “I’ve had a little bit of experience this wind down in Melbourne,” she explained. “It’s pretty similar to this.”
Perhaps most telling is her seeding: 63rd of 64 qualifiers, and she’s now one of the final eight players left standing. “It’s kind of crazy to think about,” she admitted, though her performances suggest this is less luck and more about her mental fortitude.
The quietly spoken Newcastle golfer is making serious noise at Bandon Dunes, and with Canada’s Taylor Kehoe her opponent in tomorrow’s quarter final, there’s little standing between her and women’s amateur golf’s most prestigious title, the dream run shows no signs of slowing.
