Elm Park’s Anna Foster produced some sensational golf down the stretch to beat Iceland’s Andrea Bergsdottir 2&1 in 35mph southwest winds to reach the last 16 of the Women’s Amateur at Portmarnock.
While Douglas’ Sara Byrne struggled in brutal conditions and fell by 4&2 to American Annabelle Pancake, last year’s runner-up, having been eight-over after eight holes and six-down, Foster was clutch when it counted.
One down after nine holes, she won the 10th with a bogey to square the match before making crucial, back-to-back par saves at the 13th and 14th.
At the par-five 13th she was in bunker 50 yards short of the green but played a sensational fourth that finished inside three feet and rolled in the putt for a half.
She had to work hard for a half in par at the 14th, where she mishit her tee shot into a bunker on the left and was forced to lay up.
With Bergsdottir safely on the green in regulation, Foster hit a great pitch from around 70 yards to 10 feet and again rolled in the par putt.
She edged ahead in the match for the first time at the 15th, where both players missed the green right on the strong wind.
Bergsdottir failed to make the green in two but after Foster left her pitch well short on the edge of the green, two putts were enough to win the hole in bogey as the Icelander lipped out from around five feet for her four.
Foster then won the 16th with a birdie to go two up before closing out the match with a par at the 17th, where she found the left rough but hit a superb approach to 18 feet and lagged the putt dead after Bergsdottir had left herself a five- footer for par.
Foster now plays Sweden’s Meja Ortengren, who was second to Lottie Woad in qualifying and a 1 up winner over Hannah Darling, for a place tomorrow morning’s quarter-finals.
World number one Woad beat Japan’s Aisa Sato 6&5 in the first match of the day to set up a last-16 clash with Denmark’s Marie Eline Madsen.
Pancake plays compatriot Catherine Rao, who came from two down with five to play to beat England’s Euphemie Rhodes 2&1.
The surprise of the morning came from Taipei’s Huai-Chien Hsu, who beat world number four Rachel Kuehn 6&5.