Louise Duncan out with world No 1 in Augusta National Women's Amateur

Louise Duncan will have the world No 1 for company when she makes history along with Hannah Darling as the first Scots to tee up in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur this week.

Duncan, the Women’s Amateur champion from West Kilbride, is in the same group as top-ranked American Rose Zhang for Wednesday’s opening round at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta.

The duo will be joined by Sara Kouskova, the world No 27 from the Czech Republic, for the first of two rounds at that venue, with the top 30 after 36 holes progressing to Saturday’s final circuit at Augusta National.

Duncan, who sits 49th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, and 11th-placed Darling are among 72 players competing in the tournament’s third staging.

Broomieknowe’s Darling, who qualified by winning the Girls’ Amateur Championship last year, has Italian Benedetta Moresco and American Latta Stone in her group for the opening round.

Duncan, who recorded a top-10 finish in last year’s AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie, spent last week at Sage Valley in South California with her coach, West Kilbride professional Iain Darroch, to get herself acquainted with US-style courses.

“It is quite early in the season, so it’s a case of thinking about how to play golf again with a card in your hand,” said the Stirling University student. “It’s always difficult getting back into the swing of things after the winter, so I think that’s going to be the most difficult part for me.”

In a recent R&A Student Tour Series event in Spain, Duncan opened with an 80 before adding scores of 74-71 to finish seventh behind fellow Scot Lorna McClynmont.

“It was good to go to Spain and get all the stupid mistakes out of my system,” she added. “I had a bit of a nightmare in the first round,