U.S. Girls' Junior Blog

 

 

It was a long day in humid conditions, but Ariya Jutanugarn outlasted Dottie Ardina to become the third player from Thailand to win a USGA championship. 

"I'm so happy, I'm so proud," said Jutanugarn on the 17th green, where she closed out the match, 2 and 1.  

In a nip-and-tuck duel, no lead got larger than 2-up. Jutanugarn carried the 2-up margin on the 31st and 32nd holes.  

Statistically, both players were close. Jutanugarn hit 22 of 27 fairways and 26 of 35 greens in regulation. By comparison, Ardina missed just one fairway and three greens. Jutanugarn shot one under par with all of the match-play concessions; Ardina shot three over.  

"The key to the match was birdies and pars. I kept making three-putts all day," said Ardina, who is from the Philipines. 

Out of the chute, Jutanugarn birdied the first hole when  she sank a 6-foot putt. That put her 1 up. Ardina evened things on the 356-yard par-4 sixth hole when Jutanugarn conceded the hole. Jutanugarn couldn’t get up and down from an awkward lie. She sent her ball across the green while Ardina was laying three shots. 

The fellow competitors then ran off 11 consecutive holes with halves. It wasn’t until the par-4 17^th hole that Ardina grabbed her first and only lead, which lasted two holes. Ardina capitalized on Jutanugarn’s inability to get up and down from the left greenside rough.  

“It’s tough and tight,” said Ardina at the one-hour break. “I’m still hanging in there.” 

Ardina’s lead vanished on the 19^th hole. Jutanugarn again came out and birdied the hole, this time converting a breaking 5-footer.  

Jutanugarn took the lead on the par-5 22^nd hole. Ardina had missed the green on the left side and attempted two chips from the deep rough. The ball never made it on the green, causing Ardina to concede the hole.  

On the 23^rd hole, a 158-yard par 3, Ardina nailed a 14-foot putt that brought a rare fist pump. Things remained all square for two holes until Jutanugarn won the 25^th hole with a par. Ardina three-putted from 30 feet. Jutanugarn held onto the lead for four holes.  

On the 29^th hole, which was the par-4 11^th, Ardina converted a 7-foot birdie putt that again got the match to all square. This time it would be short-lived because Jutanugarn bounced back on the next hole, winning it with a par. Ardina three-putted from 33 feet.  

Jutanugarn never looked back. She forged a 2-up advantage on the 31^st hole when she hit her approach shot stiff to 2 ½ feet. She easily made the putt.  

A birdie by Ardina on the 33^rd hole, which was No. 15, cut the deficit in half.  

In a match-play quirk on the 35^th hole, Jutanugarn hit out of turn. Coming off the 16th green, the hole was halved and Ardina still had the honor from winning No. 33. Jutanugarn played first on No. 17, landing in the fairway, however she played out of order. According to a USGA official, Rule 10-1c provides that the opponent can let the stroke played out of order stand or ask the opponent to cancel and replay. Ardina then asked Jutanugarn to cancel and replay the stroke. But Jutanugarn again drove the ball in the fairway.  

Jutanugarn pitched from the left greenside rough to 4 feet left of hole. Ardina's ball ran 3 feet by the hole, and her comebacker burned the outer edge. It was a crucial miss because it gave Jutanugarn a putt for the win.  

“My caddie just told me to make it,” said Jutanugarn, whose sister Moriya was on the bag.  

  

 

Hole 35 - 417 yards, par 4 

In a match-play quirk, Jutanugarn hit out of turn. Ardina had the option of making Juta replay her shot, which she did. But it didn't matter. Juta split the fairway. Ardina's approach landed on the green. Her ball was 66 feet away. Jutanugarn pitched from the left greenside rough to 4 feet left of hole. Ardina's ball ran 3 feet by the hole, and her comebacker burned the outer edge. It was a crucial miss because it gave Jutanugarn a putt for the win. Jutanugarn nailed the putt and captured the 2011 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.

Ariya Jutanugarn wins, 2 and 1 

Hole 34 - 312 yards, par 4 

Both players reached the fairway on this blind tee shot and hit the green from there. Jutanugarn had a 24-foot putt to the right of the hole, with Ardina 30 feet below. Her birdie putt pulled and stopped 1 1/2 feet from the hole. Jutanugarn came up short as well, and both players picked up their balls for pars.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 33 - 405 yards, par 4 

Again, both players were on the fairway off the tee. Ardina hit her approach shot stiff to 2 feet. Jutanugarn's ball took a strange hop once it reached the green, bounding to the left and under a tree in the greenside rough. She conceded the hole from there.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 32 - 131 yards, par 3 

Jutanugarn's tee shot landed 14 feet away from the hole, 2 feet inside Ardina's. Ardina picked up her ball after missing to the left by inches. Jutanugarn had a similar outcome and also picked up her ball.

Jutanugarn, 2 up 

Hole 31 - 353 yards, par 4 

After both landed in the fairway, Ardina hit her approach to 10 feet right of the hole. Not to be outdone, Jutanugarn went inside Ardina's ball to 2 feet. Ardina's first putt lipped out. and Jutanugarn's ball dropped to take a 2-up lead, the largest lead thus far in the match.

Jutanugarn, 2 up 

Hole 30 - 196 yards, par 3 

Both Ardina and Jutanugarn reached the green from the tee. Jutanugarn's 36-foot birdie pull just missed catching the back of the hole and rolled 4 feet past. Ardina missed both her birdie and par attempts, and Jutanugarn retook the lead when her comebacker fell in the hole.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 29 - 331 yards, par 4 

Jutanugarn's tee shot went into the fairway bunker, but she found the green in two, as did Ardina. Ardina nailed a 7-foot birdie putt to even the match.

All square 

Hole 28 - 451 yards, par 5 

Jutanugarn pulled her approach shot, leaving her with an awkward lie in the greenside rough. Ardina stopped short of the green and used a flop shot to get on. Jutangarn made a nice stroke and punched the ball to 6 feet above the hole. Ardina pushed her 10-foot birdie putt and it stopped just inches from the hole. Jutanugarn also missed her birdie putt, and pars were conceded.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 27 - 371 yards, par 4 

Both players again hit the fairway off the tee and made it onto the green in two. Jutanugarn faced a 16-foot birdie attempt, and Ardina's was from 24 feet. Her birdie putt stopped within an inch, causing her to stand with her hands on her hips in disbelief. Jutanugarn then missed another opportunity to extend her lead and missed her birdie attempt.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 26 - 391 yards, par 4 

Both players are short of the green after hitting the fairway. It was only Ardina's second missed green of the day. Jutanugarn's 80-foot putt pulled 5 feet to the right of the hole, while Ardina's from 70 feet pulled 6 feet right. Ardina missed her birdie attempt, and Jutanugarn missed a prime opportunity to extend her lead by pushing her putt and missing her birdie attempt.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 25 - 561 yards, par 5 

I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, as both players again found the fairway, with Jutanugarn slightly ahead. She put her approach to 12 feet from the flagstick, hole high. Ardina was 30 feet above the hole, and left her par putt 3 feet short. Jutanugarn's birdie putt just grazed the edge of the hole and her par also missed, giving the hole to Jutanugarn.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 24 - 356 yards, par 4 

Both players found the fairway, 120 yards short. Jutanugarn put her approach to 12 feet. Ardina had an uphill 36 footer that didn't have enough legs and stopped inches from the hole. Jutanugarn's birdie putt also stopped just short and the players halved the hole at par.

All square 

Hole 23 - 158 yards, par 4 

Jutanugarn hit a gorgeous tee shot that stopped stiff at 8 feet. Ardina had an equally nice shot, stopping 14 feet above the hole. Ardina sunk her birdie putt and followed with a fist pump. Jutanugarn pulled her short putt to take the match back to all square.

All square 

Hole 22 - 512 yards, par 5 

Ardina and Jutanugarn continued their streak of fairways off the tee, with Jutanugarn 60 yards ahead of Ardina. Both players missed the green to the left, both with difficult chips from the short side. Ardina's chip fell short of the green, and when her second chip also fell short, she conceded.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 21 - 169 yards, par 3 

Both players reached the green on their tee shots. Jutanugarn hit the flagstick and the ball bounded away to 18 feet. Ardina had 39 feet to the hole. Both players sent their birdie attempts just short and another hole was halved with pars.

All square 

Hole 20 - 419 yards, par 4 

Ardina opened into the fairway, but Jutanugarn went into the left rough after blocking her tee shot. Ardina came up well short of the green, about 70 yards away. Jutanugarn made a nice shot out of the rough and reached 57 feet from the hole. Ardina's third shot came to 4 feet. Jutanugarn's nice putt was conceded for par from inches, and Ardina converted her 4 footer to halve the hole at par.

All square 

Hole 19 - 394 yards, par 4 

The afternoon portion of this scheduled 36-hole final has commenced. As with the morning round, both Jutanugarn and Ardina were able to find the fairway off the tee. Ardina had a 24-footer for birdie. She knocked it close and it was conceded. Jutanugarn tuck her approach to 5 feet and converted her birdie putt to immediately take away Ardina's lead.

All square 

Hole 18 - 476 yards, par 5 

After two shots each down the fairway, Ardina was faced with 97 yards to the hole and Jutanugarn 107 yards. Jutanugarn's ball landed 33 feet away from the hole. Ardina hit her approach shot stiff to 10 feet below the hole. Jutanugarn's first putt stopped 6 feet short of the hole. Ardina pulled her first putt inches away and picked it up for par. Jutanugarn converted her par to halve the hole and maintain Ardina's 1-up lead. The players will now go into their lunch break. Play will resume at 12:45 p.m.

Ardina, 1 up, at the lunch break 

Hole 17 - 417 yards, par 4 

With both players in the fairway, Jutanugarn pulled her approach into the left greenside rough. Ardina landed on the green, leaving her 48 feet for birdie. Jutanugarn chipped onto the green, and her ball released late to roll 12 feet past the hole. This opened the door for Ardina, who left her birdie attempt inches short. Jutanugarn conceded Ardina's par, and prompted missed her own par attempt, giving Ardina her first lead of the match.

Ardina, 1 up 

Hole 16 - 312 yards, par 4 

This was a blind tee shot for the players. Ardina opted for a driver off the tee, while Jutanugarn went a 3 wood. Both were on the fairway - Ardina 109 yards to the hole, Jutanugarn 108. Both players found the green in two. Jutanugarn was left with a 27-foot birdie putt, and her par attempt from inches was conceded. Ardina's 21-foot birdie attempt came up just short for another halved hole.

All square 

Hole 15 - 405 yards, par 4 

Ardina and Jutanugarn just seem to be matching each other stroke for stroke. Again, both players made the fairway off the tee, and both ended with 33 feet to the hole. Jutanugarn made her uphill putt first, and it stopped less than 1 foot from the hole. Ardina conceded that par, then her birdie attempt stopped 2 feet short. She converted the par, and the match continutes on to 16, still all square.

All square 

Hole 14 - 131 yards, par 3 

On this par-3 hole, Ardina hit her tee shot to within 24 feet of the hole. Jutanugarn reached 14 feet from the hole. Ardina had another knee-bending putt, just pulling the ball, which stopped mere inches from the hole. Jutanugarn yanked her putt, sending it 2 feet past. Both players converted par putts for another halved hole.

All square 

Hole 13 - 353 yards, par 4 

Both players split the fairway, and as usual, Jutanugarn was about 40 yards ahead of Ardina. Ardina's approach shot landed on the back collar, 27 feet from the hole. She knocked her first putt to 1 1/2 feet past the flagstick. Jutanugarn ended up with 20 feet to the hole. She pushed her putt 1 foot past, and another hole was halved with pars.

All square 

Hole 12 - 196 yards, par 3 

Ardina stuck her tee shot to 7 feet. Jutanugarn's tee shot landed 24 feet below the hole, and after she missed her birdie attempt, par was conceded. Ardina had a downhill approach to the hole, and nearly collapsed to her knees when the birdie putt narrowly missed to the left.

All square 

Hole 11 - 331 yards, par 4 

The tee is playing up for this championship final. Ardina's tee shot was in the fairway, and Jutanugarn driving into the right rough near the green. Ardina found the green in two, 21 feet away from the hole. Jutanugarn chipped onto the green and had a 30-foot downhill putt. Her putt lagged and stopped 4 feet short. Ardina left her putt one foot short. Jutanugarn conceded Ardina's par putt, and then converted her own attempt.

All square 

Hole 10 - 451 yards, par 5 

Again, both players found the fairway, with Jutanugarn again finding 40 additional yards on her opponent. Ardina's second shot landed in the right rough, 70 yards short of the green. Jutanugarn's second traveled way left, just short of the green. Ardina tried to pitch the ball onto the green, but her ball caught on some leaves and stopped 16 feet short. It was her first missed green in regulation. Ardina then chipped to 1 1/2 feet. Jutanugarn also chipped onto the green, and her 10-foot putt lipped out. Both players took pars, and the match remains all square.

All square 

Hole 9 - 371 yards, par 4 

As usual, both players found the fairway, with Jutanugarn slightly ahead of Ardina. Ardina's approach reached the green, leaving her an 18-foot birdie putt. Jutanugarn's approach dropped just short of the green, but she opted to putt from the front edge. Her 27-foot birdie putt stopped 2 feet short of the hole. Ardina's birdie attempt rolled inches past. Both pars were conceded.

All square 

Hole 8 - 391 yards, par 4 

Ardina and Jutanugarn continue to play steady golf, with both players on the green in two. Ardina had a 20-foot birdie opportunity to the left of the flagstick. Jutanugarn was 84 feet below the hole, and her birdie putt stopped 3 feet short. Ardina just missed her birdie attempt, and her par was conceded. Jutanugarn hit her 3-footer to keep the match all square.

All square 

Hole 7 - 561 yards, par 5 

Both players were on the fairway in two, with Jutanugarn's tee shot ending up in the second cut of rough to the right. Ardina faced 165 yards to the hole, Jutanugarn 185 yards. With the flagstick tucked to the front-right, Jutanugarn hit the green with her approach shot. Ardina also found the green, and is yet to miss a green. Both players were 45 feet from the hole. Jutanugarn putted first, and her ball broke too early and stopped 3 feet short. Ardina knocked her birdie putt closer, leaving 2 feet. Both converted their par attempts.

All square 

Hole 6 - 356 yards, par 4 

Jutanugarn found the fairway off the tee, but Ardina's tee shot ended up in the right rough. However, she was able to find the green in two, with 42 feet to the hole. Jutanugarn missed the green with her second shot and it went down an embankment. She was left with an awkward, short-sided lie. Ardina's putt broke the wrong way, leaving her with a 4 footer for par. Jutanugarn tried a flop shot to the green, but it wasn't enough and rolled back down the hill. With no choice but to go for the hole, her par shot went across the green. Jutanugarn conceded the hole, bringing the match back to even.

All square 

Hole 5 - 158 yards, par 3 

Ardina and Jutanugarn both made the green in one on this par-3 hole. Jutanugarn faced a 14-footer for birdie, and Ardina's was 27 feet. Ardina's birdie attempt almost dropped into the back of the hole, but rolled a few inches past for a conceded par. Jutanugarn, to the right of the flagstick, pushed her putt 3 1/2 feet past, but nailed the comebacker to maintain her lead.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 4 - 512 yards, par 3 

Both players hit the fairway off the tee, with Jutanguarn 40 yards ahead, and both reached the green in three. Jutanugarn faced a 20-foot putt for birdie, and Ardina 63 feet. Ardina's putt had too much speed and rolled 4 feet past the hole. Jutanugarn pushed her putt to the right, and her par was conceded. Ardina converted the comebacker for another halved hole.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 3 - 169 yards, par 3 

Ardina was on the green with her first shot. Jutanugarn was just short off the tee, and opted to putt on to the green. Her birdie putt rolled 3 feet past the hole. Ardina left her 45-foot birdie attempt 2 feet short. Both players converted their par putts to halve the hole.

Jutanugarn, 1 up  

Hole 2 - 419 yards, par 4 

Both players found the fairway, though Jutanugarn had the advantage of 50 yards on Ardina. Both also reached the green in two. Ardina faced a 21-foot putt to the left of the hole, while Jutanugarn a 30-footer, also from the left. Jutanugarn's birdie putt pulled up 1 foot short and par was conceded. Ardina's birdie attempt stopped mere inches short of the hole. The hole was halved with pars

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

Hole 1 - 394 yards, par 4 

Off the first tee, Jutanugarn missed the fairway, but found the green with her second shot to 6 feet. Ardina hit the fairway, but came up 20 feet short of the green. She pitched on to 18 feet above the hole. Her par putt was short by 1 foot, and her bogey was conceded. Jutanugarn converted her birdie attempt to take the early 1-up lead.

Jutanugarn, 1 up 

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Check out the action here as we'll be blogging live from the course. Ariya Jutanugarn and Dottie Ardina have teed off under overcast skies, and there is a threat of rain in the forecast. OFCC received almost three-quarters of an inch of rain last night during a boomer of a thunderstorm, but considering the northern Chicago suburbs received nearly 7 inches, that isn't too bad.

The Dottie Ardina-Yu Liu match was a classic case of chicken. Or a game of who would blink first. The fellow competitors were evenly matched, evidenced by the back-and-forth nature of their duel.

 

Ardina, 17, playing in her fourth U.S. Girls' Junior, eventually won the match, 2 and 1. 

"It feels very good [to reach the final]," said Ardina.

Not only did she battle Liu, but she went up against her body, namely her feet. She has three blisters on each foot, which made walking tough. She shuffled her way around the course, never giving in.

The two went 10 holes of being all square. Liu only led two holes. The match started with Ardina winning the first hole with a birdie. Liu evened things four holes later on the par-3 fifth hole with a birdie. They ran off seven straight halves after that.

Liu, 15, won No. 13 to take a 1-up lead. She knocked a 14-foot putt close, picked up, while Ardina was left to make a 7-footer to halve the hole. She pushed the putt.

Liu's lead lasted one hole. That's because Ardina knocked a 14-foot putt from the collar close to the hole and picked up. It left Liu looking over a 3 1/2-foot putt, but she missed it.

"My putting wasn't as good," said Liu.

Ardina secured a lead she would never lose on the par-4 16th hole. Liu failed to get up and down from a backside bunker. Her first stroke out hit the lip and bounced back. Ardina essentially needed to two-putt from 20 feet, which she did to go 1 up.

On No. 17, Liu missed the green in regulation and was forced to pitch her way on. It cost her a valuable stroke. She stood over a 14-foot putt, but pulled it. Ardina only needed to two-putt again, this time from 12 feet. When Ardina knocked her ball close, Liu conceded the match.

"I'm extremely disappointed," said Liu. "I played not so good. I made some stupid mistakes."

Someone asked Ardina what her goal was this week.

"To win," she said, "because it's my last year [in the Girls' Junior]."

Maintaining a championship-caliber golf course is a difficult job. Add the worst heat wave in years and it becomes even harder to pull off the delicate task.

The golf course maintenance staff here at Olympia Fields has persevered through the oppressive conditions to keep the South Course in tip-top condition for the Girls’ Junior. Following this morning’s rainstorm, they were out in force to ensure that the eight quarterfinalists could pick right up where they left off before play was suspended.

But during the suspension, the crew, led by OFCC Director of Grounds Sam Mackenzie and comprised of mostly Mexican natives, received a special visit in the maintenance facility. Marijosse Navarro, a 14-year-old from Mexico, visited the maintenance crew to thank them for their hard work throughout the week – and their unfailing support for the countrywoman.

“They supported me a lot on the golf course, and I just wanted to give (support) back,” said Navarro, who was competing in her first USGA championship. She said that she loved having members of the maintenance staff watch her while she played.

“We are very happy with her, since she’s the only Mexican here,” said Eddie Gonzalez, a member of the OFCC staff who has been cutting and painting holes all week. “The last Mexican we looked at when playing was Lorena Ochoa! Now it’s her, and we are very excited.”

There is another connection between Navarro and Ochoa – both players have represented their home country at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship. Ochoa competed in 1998 and 2000, while Navarro represented Mexico in 2010.

Navarro, who traveled to Illinois with her parents, also might have made some family connections here at OFCC. Her father, Hugo, grew up in Guadalajara, as did many members of the OFCC staff. In discussing family stories, many familiar names came up, and Navarro might have found some distant relatives.

It had all the makings of a top match. And it didn't disappoint. Ariya Jutanugarn went up against Gabriella Then in this morning's match. It was a see-saw battle all the way.

"It went back and forth all day," said Then, who played in the U.S. Women's Open this year. "It could have ended earlier but it didn't."

Jutanugarn won the match, 1 up, to advance to the semifinal round. It wasn't easy since she was down most of the match. For seven holes, the match was all square. Jutanugarn never held the lead until the 16th hole. It was 16 when the match turned in her favor. Then hit a fade off the tee on the 312-yard par 4, but her ball went way right into thicket of bushes. Then opted to play her ball, but took two strokes to get out. Moments later she conceded the hole.

"It was very critical because there were only two holes left," said Then.

"She made a mistake on 16," said Jutanugarn, who also played in this year's U.S. Women's Open.

Then also thought No. 10 played out as a key moment. She lost the hole when Jutanugarn sank a 6-foot birdie putt that squared the match. On the 353-yard par-4 13th hole, Then took a 1-up lead. Then converted a knee-bending 36-foot putt that won the hole. Jutanugarn squared the match on No. 15 with a 10-foot birdie make, which set up Then's imminent downfall on No. 16.

Play has resumed at 12:13 p.m., making this a two-hour and 13-minute rain delay. OFCC experienced quite a strong thunderstorm, with torrential rain, whipping winds and the lightning that necessitated evacuating the course. But with the storm came much cooler temperatures, which the players surely appreciate. We hope to remain clear for the rest of the day.

With temperatures and humidity this high, it was bound to happen eventually. Play was just suspended at 10 a.m. and the course is currently being evacuated in preparation for impending storms.

Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale, Ga., had built a nice little lead for herself while going against Annie Park of Levittown, N.Y. She won the seventh and eighth holes with a birdie-par to go 4 up. Suddenly that 4-up lead diminished quickly. Park won the next three holes, first with a 5-foot par putt on No. 9, another 5-footer on No. 10 and a par on No. 11.

 

No worries, said Stackhouse, who took 21 putts on the front nine.

 

"I told my caddie that we better win this match early because it's supposed to be hotter this afternoon," said Stackhouse. "I told my caddie, 'We've got to kill that momentum.' I was pretty calm and didn't get too anxious."

 

Stackhouse rebounded nicely. She won three of the next four holes to close out Park. She knocked in a 30-foot putt on No. 15 to win the match.

 

"I played terrible," said Park. "My confidence wasn't a 100 percent."

 

 

 

Annie Park is no stranger to USGA championships. A veteran of three Girls’ Juniors, five Women’s Amateur Public Links and a Women’s Amateur, she is a very familiar face at a USGA event. However, she does have a new aspect to her game.

Park introduced a long putter into her arsenal in December 2010. She uses it in conjunction with her standard putter, but actually dropped her 5 iron today and carried both putters.

“The short one, I have more control with the distance, the long ones,” said Park, who advanced to the semifinals of the 2011 Women’s Amateur Public Links. “And the short ones, I felt more comfortable with the long [putter].”

Park, who is a student of famed instructor Sean Foley, used the short putter on Monday’s opening round of stroke play, and then the long putter on Tuesday. Wednesday, however, called for both options. She said that she only used the short one twice, relying mostly on the long putter.

Talk about making up for a mistake. After Hee Wook Choi missed a short putt on No. 17, which would have given her a 1-up lead, she came back on No. 18 and stuck her approach shot to 1 1/2 feet of the flagstick. In the meantime, Kaitlin Park needed to make a downhill 20-footer to force a halve of the hole. Her putt sailed to the right, leaving the tap-in for Choi.

"I had a really close putt on 17 and I missed it," said Choi. "I thought to myself, 'If I don't hit it close to the pin on 18, we're going to go through [extra holes]. It was all focus."

Summar Roachell knocked off Brooke Henderson of Canada, 3 and 1, on Wednesday. The key to their match came on the 331-yard par-4 11th hole. "I had hit it to 5 feet and made the putt," said Roachell. "She had 5 or 6 feet for par and missed it." That put Roachell 2 up, the largest lead to that point. Roachell cruised after that, closing out Henderson on the 17th hole.

Today is not for the faint of heart. The heat is searing, which is leading players and officials to use cold towel wraps around their necks. In the Kately Dambaugh vs. Mariel Galdiano match, it seemed as though the heat was getting to Galdiano. She didn't say it was; rather, she felt that she couldn't get proper reads on the greens and that her clubbing was off. So Dambaugh, last year's runner-up, moves on to the second round.

Here's playoff scores thus far: Yang 6, Lee 5 and Blonien 4.

The playoff is now over. Abe, Blonien and Chow advanced with 4s.

There is a 6-for-3 spots playoff. Those in the playoff are Julie Yang, Hanna Lee, Megan Blonien, Hana Ku, Lakareber Abe, Marissa Chow, all of whom are 10-over 154.

We just had our first hole-in-one of the 2011 U.S. Girls' Junior. Ju Hee Bae, a 17-year-old from Chantilly, Va., made her first career ace at the par-3, 158-yard fifth hole, using her 7 iron.

According to her media bio, her two career highlights so far have been recording an albatross three weeks ago and qualifying for this championship. Hopefully, this moment will rank right up there.

This morning we've got hot and hazy weather. There doesn't seem to be rain in the forecast.The heat index is supposed to be above 100.

 

Katelyn Dambaugh learned a hard lesson on Monday. After missing a 4-foot putt for birdie on No. 7, she swung her club and smashed it against her foot, thereby bending the face. She wound up having to putt with her wedge. It made a difference. She two-putted from 4 feet on her final hole.

It's looking pretty ominous outside. When I got to No. 12, it started to sprinkle. I do believe there are thunder showers on their way.

Greetings, we're here at Olympia Fields and play has begun. It's extremely muggy out. The forecast calls for rain this morning and perhaps some heavy stuff by the afternoon. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it passes through without incident.

One thing nice about Olympia Fields is that there are a number of holes that funnel back to the clubhouse.

On a separate note, Carol Mann is the honorary chairman of the championship and was the featured speaker at the players dinner Sunday night. She cracked a number of jokes and kept the kids in stitches.