Hopefully see you in final, world No 1 Ingrid Lindblad tells Hannah Darling

The Broomieknowe player carded two one-under-par 71s in the stroke-play qualifying to comfortably progress to the match-play phase, which starts on Thursday.

“Yeah, pretty pleased overall,” said Darling, a two-time semi-finalist in The R&A event, losing to eventual winners Louise Duncan and Jess Baker in 2021 and 2022 respectively at Kilmarnock (Barassie) and Hunstanton. “First job done, just make the cut. That's all I had to do.”

The South Carolina star signed for an eagle and two birdies in her second circuit to finish in the top ten in a 36-hole battle for 64 spots.

“A little bit frustrating, didn't really hole a lot out there,” she added. “Yeah, a lot of stuff that I'm not too happy about, but a lot of stuff I am quite happy about. But job done and on to tomorrow.”

World No 9 Darling played alongside Swede Ingrid Lindblad, the new top-ranked player after Rose Zhang’s recent switch to the professional ranks, in the two rounds. Helped by two eagles on the back nine, Lindblad carded a 69 in the second circuit to also finish the stoke-play stage on two-under.

“Yeah, she just said to me in the scorers she'll see me in the final hopefully,” said Darling, the highest-ranked Great Britain and Ireland player in the field in reply to being asked if she saw that rivalry continuing for the rest of the week at the Sandwich venue. “You never know how it goes.

“Good playing with Ingrid. She's world No 1 for a reason and she played very well. Yeah, we've played quite a lot over the last few years at European events and events over in the States. It's nice to play with her again and good fun out there.”

Darling won the inaugural R&A Girls’ Under-16 Amateur in 2019 before adding the Girls’ Amateur two years later. Having also been knocking at the door in this event in the past, does she think this is finally the year she can go all the way?

“You never know. I mean, golf is golf,” she said. “And whatever happens, happens, I can't quite control that. Obviously I would love for it to be my year but I can't think about that.

“I'm not going to get ahead of myself. I'm going to take care of each day as it comes and I'll take care of tomorrow and see what happens.”

Defending champion Baker is through to the knock-out stage again, which also features American Latanna Stone, the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur runner-up, on this occasion.

Asked about what she’d learned from her two runs to the last four, Darling replied: “It’s survival of the fittest!

“Two years ago at Barassie, I ended up playing 40 holes in one day or something like that and was absolutely exhausted and had to go out the next day. So I would just say, ‘just keep your energy for the week’.”

As Ireland’s Beth Coulter secured the top seeding by three shots on five-under, Darling was joined in progressing by three compatriots - Jasmine Mackintosh (Murcar Links), Lorna McClymont (Milngavie) and Penelope Brown (Auchterarder).