Rookie Amanda Doherty of Georgia says it is nice seeing her name on top of the leaderboard and also great to have her mother with her in northern Ireland this week. (Getty Images/Andrew Redington)
You may not know the name Amanda Doherty, a rookie on the LPGA Tour. However, she is leading this week’s ISPS Handa World Invitational in northern Ireland at 11-under after shooting 66-67 in the first two rounds.
She has won $131,319 this season and is 95th on the money list. She’s yet to have a top-10 finish but could be on the verge of a huge breakthrough this week even though seven players are within four shots with 36 holes to play and five more are just five shots behind.
So why am I interested? Simple. Her sister, Hannah, was a tennis player at Centre College and Amanda, who was seventh on the 2021 Epson Tour money list to earn her LPGA card, also has family members living in Danville.
“She played at Florida State and it is inspiring to watch what she has done. It shows me if you put your mind to something you can do it,” the Hannah Doherty told me. “I don’t necessarily have the same intensity level for my sport as she does… Every time she moves up in competition, she just fights harder.”
That’s what she will have to do the next two days in northern Ireland but it should be fun to keep up with her on Golf Channel.
Here is part of what she had to say at her press conference Friday after her 5-under par 67:
Q. Your front nine today, being able to close that out in 31, take me through what was going so well for you there.
AMANDA DOHERTY: Well, just putts were going in today. I mean, I was hitting the ball well to get it close enough for them to go in, but they were just falling in, and that was definitely the best part of my game on the front nine. And then tried to hang on on the back. Yeah, I was putting really well today.
Q. The back nine we were just talking about is a little bit sneaky, tricky, definitely firmer, more fast. What is it about taking advantage of those first nine holes that you think really helped you today?
AMANDA DOHERTY: Yeah, I think to get a good front nine was good for me because the back is tougher. It is firmer. It’s faster. There are a few trickier holes. Kind of have to get out to a good start and then not feel like I have to push too much on the back.
Q. After yesterday, we were just talking, you said you got couple too many people texting you after one round. What did it mean to come away with the first round lead after yesterday?
AMANDA DOHERTY: Yeah, that’s not a position I’ve really been in before on the LPGA, so it’s always fun. It’s nice to know that I have some good, low rounds in me for sure.
Q. You definitely had those top finishes on the Epson Tour in 2021 that got you your status here. Did you think about what you did in those situations as you’re grinding it out here?
AMANDA DOHERTY: Yeah, definitely. The last two years on the Epson Tour was a really good learning experience for me, and I think to have put myself in contention so many times last year makes me feel a little bit more comfortable with the position that I’m in now.
Q. And you’ve been in Europe for the last couple weeks. Go through what has been going on the last few weeks to get to that point here, if you don’t mind.
AMANDA DOHERTY: Yeah, so I played Evian; finished 37th there. Had a good final round to kind of move up the leaderboard. Then I was first alternate going into the Scottish. I didn’t get in. Waited around all day hoping to get in. Then I didn’t make it through, by a couple shots, through final qualifying for The Open, which was disappointing.
So I got couple practice rounds on a few different links courses around Scotland, and then came over here a couple days early. Tried to get a feel for everything in Northern Ireland.
Q. For you, seeing your name at the top of the leaderboard, what does that do for your confidence and just overall mental game going into the weekend?
AMANDA DOHERTY: Yeah, I mean, it’s really nice to see my name up there. Haven’t been up there in a little while. You know, I had been feeling like my game was trending in the right direction, making a few tweaks here and there. From the outside looking in you might not see that score-wise, but I’ve been feeling like it’s going the right direction. So it’s nice to really kind of confirm that.
Q. You have got your mom here this week. Just having someone to kind of go back to and also have that support around you when you’re in a position like this, how much does that help you, or are you one of those that focuses on yourself?
AMANDA DOHERTY: No. It’s an awesome having my mom here. Especially the last few weeks not getting to play. We got to go see some stuff and be tourists for a few days. Here this week it’s awesome, because once I’m done, done with my work on the golf course, done for the day, I try to get away and not think about golf and do something else. It definitely helps having my mom here for sure.
