Women's Amateur Blog

 

Here are the final statistics from the championship match. Kang made 11 birdies, three of which were conceded, while Jutanugarn had five birdies, one of which was conceded.

Kang hit 23 of 26 fairways over the 31 holes. She also hit 25 of 31 greens in regulation and totaled 48 putts, with the usual match-play concessions.

Jutanugarn managed to hit 17 of 26 fairways and 22 of 31 greens in regulation. She totaled 49 putts, with concessions.

Hole 31 - 432-yard par 4 

Jutanugarn's approach found the left greenside bunker. She had an awkward stance but was able to blast to 8 feet. Kang was on the green with her approach, 15 feet from the hole. Her birdie putt hung on the edge of the hole and was conceded.
Danielle Kang wins the match, 6 and 5. She is the first player to successfully defend her Women's Amateur title since Kelli Kuehne in 1996. More information, including a complete story and photos of the championship final, will be coming shortly.

Once the match ended, Kang was doused with water from friends and fellow Women's Amateur competitors Amy Anderson, Emily Tubert and Austin Ernst, the latter of whom was eliminated in Saturday's semifinals by Jutanugarn.

 Hole 30 - 345-yard par 4 

Kang and Jutanugarn halve the hole with conceded pars. Kang hit her approach to 30 feet below the hole and her birdie putt was just left of the hole. Jutanugarn's approach shot landed 20 feet from the hole, hole-high. Her birdie putt just slid by on the right. Kang is 6 up and dormie.  

 Hole 29 - 522-yard par 5 

Kang and Jutanugarn both opted to lay up short of the water hazard in two. Kang hit her third shot from the fairway to 5 feet behind the flagstick and she made the putt for her 11th birdie of the match. Jutanugarn hit her third shot to the green, 16 feet hole-high. Her birdie putt was too firm to the right and rolled 3 feet past the hole. Kang is now 6 up.  

 Hole 28 - 193-yard par 3 

Kang stuffed her tee shot with a fairway metal to 3 feet above the hole and her birdie putt was conceded. Jutanugarn's tee shot found the left greenside rough. Her ball was below her feet for her pitch, and she left her flop shot short, on the green but 40 feet from the hole. Kang is now 5 up.  

Hole 27 - 415-yard par 4 

Jutanugarn hit her approach from the fairway to 12 feet hole high. Her birdie putt was 18 inches short and her par was conceded. Kang hit her approach from the fairway to 50 feet below the hole. Her birdie try went 4 feet past the hole and her confident par putt found the hole. Kang remains 4 up.  

Hole 26 - 481-yard par 5 

Jutanugarn hit her second shot with a 3-wood into a left greenside bunker. She blasted out to 13 feet right of the hole and missed her birdie putt on the high side. She made her 3-foot par putt. Kang, also hitting her second shot with a 3-wood, was just short of the green, 60 feet from the flagstick. She chunked her chip to the fringe, 20 feet below the hole. Her birdie putt went 4 feet past the hole and she made her par putt to halve the hole. Kang remains 4 up.  

Hole 25 - 428-yard par 4 

Kang's long-iron approach from the fairway landed 35 feet below and left of the hole. Her birdie putt slid by the right side of the hole and her par was conceded. Jutanugarn hit her approach with a 5-wood to 45 feet below the hole. She lagged her birdie putt to 3 feet short of the hole and made her par putt. Kang remains 4 up.  

Hole 24 - 220-yard par 4 

Kang almost drove the green with a 3-wood on the short par 4. Her tee shot found the greenside rough. She pitched to 2 1/2 feet and made the birdie, her ninth of the match. Jutanugarn's tee shot, also with a 3-wood, found the front-middle greenside bunker. She blasted out and her ball rolled just over the edge of the hole and stopped 5 feet past the hole. Her birdie putt burned the left edge of the hole and her par was conceded. Kang regains a 4-up lead.  

Hole 23 - 162-yard par 3 

Jutanugarn hit her tee shot to 6 feet below the hole and made the birdie putt. Kang's tee shot was just long and left of the putting surface in the rough, 12 feet from the flagstick. She left her pitch 4 feet short. Kang is now 3 up.  

Hole 22 - 351-yard par 4 

Kang hit a wedge from the fairway to 5 feet left and above the hole but missed her birdie putt to the right. She tapped in from 2 feet for par. Jutanugarn's approach from the left rough landed short of the green in the fringe, 40 feet from the hole. She almost pitched in for birdie and her par from 6 inches was conceded. Kang remains 4 up.  

Hole 21 - 349-yard par 4 

Kang hit her approach from the fairway to 24 feet below the hole. Her birdie attempt slid to the right. Jutanugarn hit her approach from the left rough to the green, hole-high and 16 feet from the flagstick. She made her birdie putt to cut the deficit to 4 down. Kang is now 4 up.  

Hole 20 - 390-yard par 4 

Jutanugarn hit her drive into the left rough. She hit her approach shot to 18 feet below and left of the hole. Her birdie putt slid to the right and her short par putt was conceded. Kang's drive was in the fairway. She hit her approach shot 35 feet below the hole. She left her birdie putt 4 1/2 feet short and made the par to maintain her 5-up lead. Kang remains 5 up.  

Hole 19 - 379-yard par 4 

Jutanugarn hit her approach from the fairway to 20 feet left of the hole on the fringe. She missed her birdie try to the left and her par was conceded. Kang hit her fairway approach to 12 feet below the hole and she made the birdie putt to win the first hole of the afternoon round. Kang is now 5 up. 

  

Some quick stats from the first round of the 36-hole final. Danielle Kang made seven birdies against one bogey. She hit 13 of 15 fairways and 14 of 18 greens. She took just 28 putts.

Moriya Jutanugarn hit 10 of 15 fairways and 13 of 18 greens. She registered 29 putts, with concessions. 

The two golfers combined for 10 birdies against just two bogeys. Some remarkable golf. 

 

 

Moriya Jutanugarn shot the equivalent of 2-under-par 69 in the morning 18 of Sunday's 36-hole Women's Amateur final, but finds herself four holes down at the break to Danielle Kang. (Steven Gibbons/USGA)

 

Hole 18 - 392-yard par 4 

Both players hit the fairway with drivers and landed their approach shots on the green. Kang's birdie try from 21 feet hole-high just slid by on the left. Her par was conceded for a 6-under 65 in the morning round. Jutanugarn's birdie putt from 18 feet hole-high was inches short. Her par was conceded for a 2-under 69. Kang is 4 up at the break.  

The championship final will resume at noon.

Hole 17 - 132-yard par 3 

Kang hit her tee shot on the short par 3 17th hole to the right fringe, 15 feet above the flagstick. Her birdie putt stopped inches from the hole on the right and her par putt was conceded. Jutanugarn missed the green to the right, and her ball landed in the rough above a greenside bunker. She pitched to 4 feet past the hole and made the comebacker for par. Kang is still 4 up.  

Hole 16 - 395-yard par 4 

Jutanugarn's drive found the left rough. Her approach from the rough came up short and landed in a greenside bunker. She blasted to 2 feet for a conceded par. Kang's approach from the left side of the fairway stopped 21 feet above the flagstick on the green. She lagged her birdie putt to a foot, which was conceded. Kang remains 4 up.  

Hole 15 - 380-yard par 4 

Kang's approach shot sailed into a greenside bunker. Her blast out of the bunker rolled 18 feet past the hole and her par putt raced 4 feet by the hole. It is her first bogey of the day. Jutanugarn hit her approach from the fairway to 10 feet above the hole. Her birdie putt slid 3 1/2 feet past the hole but she made her par to win her second consecutive hole. Kang is now 4 up.  

Hole 14 - 364-yard par 4 

Kang's birdie streak ends when she watches her 12-footer for birdie on No. 14 slide to the right of the hole. Jutanugarn won the hole with a conceded birdie when she stuffed her approach shot from the fairway to a foot. Kang is now 5 up.  

Hole 13 - 432-yard par 4 

Kang's right-to-left long approach shot bounced to the green and stopped 11 feet above the hole. Jutanugarn was short of the green with her approach from the left rough. She chipped up to 3 feet. Kang made her putt for her third consecutive birdie. Kang is now 6 up.  

Hole 12 - 345-yard par 4 

Kang hits another laser approach shot, this time to 2 feet for another conceded birdie. Jutanugarn was also on the green in two but was 25 feet below the hole. She putted over a small mound and the ball fell off to the right of the hole. Kang is now 5 up.  

Hole 11 - 522-yard par 5 

Both players decided to lay up short of the water hazard in two shots. Kang hit her approach 15 feet below and left of the hole. Jutanugarn hit her approach to 27 feet, slightly right and below hole-high. Her birdie putt slid 3 feet past the hole. Kang made her birdie putt, pumping her right fist just before the ball dropped into the hole. The defending champion is now 5 under through 11 holes. Kang increases her lead to 4 up.  

Hole 10 -193-yard par 3 

Both players hit fairway metals to the green. Jutanugarn was 25 feet below the hole; Kang was 7 feet nearly hole high to the right of the flagstick. Jutanugarn raced her birdie putt 4 feet past the hole and made her par putt. Kang lipped out her birdie and made a 2-footer for par. Kang remains 3 up.  

Hole 9 - 415-yard par 4 

Kang hit her approach from the fairway to the green, 15 feet below and left of the flagstick. She left her birdie putt 6 inches short, which was conceded. Jutanguarn hit her approach from the fairway 15 yards right of the green in the rough. She flopped her pitch to 9 feet and missed her par putt to the left. It is the first time in the match that either player has won a hole with a par. Kang is now 3 up.  

Hole 8 - 481-yard par 5 

Kang's approach with a 3-wood was on the green, 30 feet above the hole. She lagged her eagle putt to a foot. Jutanugarn's second shot with a fairway metal from the right rough found the water hazard. After taking a drop, she hit her fourth shot to 9 feet below the hole and conceded Kang's birdie. Kang is again 2 up.  

Hole 7 - 428-yard par 4 

Kang's fairway approach trickled over the green. She hit her pitch past the flagstick to 3 feet below the hole and made her par putt. Jutanugarn hit her approach from the fairway with a long-iron onto the green, 45 feet below the hole. She lagged her birdie putt to 1 foot, which was conceded. Kang remains 1 up.  

Hole 6 - 220-yard par 4 

With the tee moved up to 220 yards instead of its usual 304 yards, Kang's drive landed in the front middle greenside bunker. She blasted out to 6 feet above the hole and she pulled her birdie putt to the left. Jutanugarn's drive also found a greenside bunker. She hit out to 10 feet and made birdie with a right-to-left breaking putt. Kang is now 1 up.  

Hole 5 - 162-yard par 3 

Kang hit her tee shot to 5 feet above the hole and made the putt for her third consecutive birdie. Jutanugarn hit her tee shot to 45 feet below the hole. Her birdie try just missed to the left. Kang is now 2 up.  

Hole 4 - 351-yard par 4 

Kang hit her approach from the fairway to 9 feet above the hole and made her birdie putt. Jutanugarn hit a wedge from the fairway to 6 feet below the hole. Her birdie putt did a 360-degree lipout. Kang is now 1 up.  

Hole 3 - 349-yard par 4 

Kang hit her approach from the fairway to 18 inches and her birdie putt was conceded. Jutanugarn hit her approach from the fairway to 8 feet, slightly above the hole. She missed her birdie putt. The match is all square.  

Hole 2 - 390-yard par 4 

Kang hit her approach from the fairway to 8 feet below the hole. She missed her birdie putt to the right and par was conceded. Jutanugarn hit her approach from the fairway to 24 feet below the hole. She just missed her birdie try to the left. Jutanugarn remains 1 up.  

Hole 1 - 379-yard par 4 

Danielle Kang hit her approach shot from the fairway to 12 feet, hole high. She missed her birdie putt on the left side and her par was conceded. Moriya Jutanugarn hit her approach from the left rough to 8 feet above the hole. She converted her birdie putt to win the hole. Jutanugarn is 1 up.  

 

After four days of idyllic New England summer weather, it appears Championship Sunday at the 111th U.S. Women's Amateur won't be so blessed. The day has begun with overcast skies, a brisk breeze and a light drizzle of rain. One reason the starting times for the 36-hole final were moved up an hour was to get ahead of a possible serious storm that could hit Rhode Island Country Club and the Barrington/Providence area late this afternoon. We'll keep our fingers crossed that the match will be completed before the storms arrive.

The finalists are defending champion Danielle Kang, 18, of Westlake Village, Calif., and 17-year-old Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand. Kang is vying to become the first repeat champion since Kelli Kuehne in 1996. Karma could be with her as two of the three winners of the three previous Women's Amateur winners at Rhode Island C.C. have been repeat champs, including Kay Cockerill in 1987. Cockerill successfully defended her title that year before turning pro. Kang plans to turn pro shortly after this event.

Jutanugarn would like to join her 15-year-old sister, Ariya, as a USGA champion. Ariya won the U.S. Girls' Junior last month. If she does win, it would be the first time siblings had claimed USGA titles in the same year. Harriot and Margaret Curtis combined for four U.S. Women's Amateurs, while Hollis Stacy won six USGA titles (three Girls' Juniors and three Women's Opens) and her sister, Martha Leach, won the 2009 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur.

Previous Thai-born USGA champions include Aree Song Wongluekiet (1999 U.S. Girls' Junior) and Virada Nirapathpongporn (2003 Women's Amateur). Russamee Gulyanamitta (2000 Women's Amateur Public Links) and Nirapathpongporn (2003 WAPL) were also runner-ups in USGA championships.

Kang and Jutanugarn come into the final battling maladies. Kang sought medical treatment on Friday night after re-aggravating a rib injury. Jutanugarn has been battling a sore wrist since earning low-amateur honors at last month's U.S. Women's Open. She withdrew from the Girls' Junior and caddied for her sister. Ariya is now serving as Moriya's caddie after she was eliminated in the second round on Thursday morning.

Please follow the championship match on our Live Blog. We'll provide hole-by-hole coverage of the final.

 

You couldn't ask for better semifinal U.S. Women's Amateur matchups than what we have today at Rhode Island Country Club.

The 10 a.m. match features defending champion Danielle Kang of Westlake Village, Calif., and 21-year-old Brooke Pancake of Chattanooga, Tenn. The 18-year-old Kang is looking to leave amateur golf with a bang. Playing her final amateur event before turning pro, Kang is looking to be the first repeat Women's Amateur champion since Kelli Kuehne in 1996. And there's good karma as well. When the Women's Amateur was last played at Rhode Island C.C. in 1987, Kay Cockerill successfully defended her title before turning pro that fall.

Hopefully Kang is 100 percent healthy for the match. She told the USGA's Rhonda Glenn on Friday that she injured a rib during her quarterfinal victory over Demi Frances Runas.

Meanwhile, Pancake has continued what has been a fabulous last 12 months in golf. The senior-to-be at the University of Alabama claimed her first collegiate title -- the Tar Heel Invitational, last fall -- and was named a first-team All-America by the Natoinal Golf Coaches Association. She could go down as one of the greatest female golfers to ever play for the Crimson Tide.

The second semifinal pits reigning NCAA Division I individual champion Austin Ernst, 19, of Seneca, S.C., against 17-year-old Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who earned low-amateur honors at last month's U.S. Women's Open. Jutanugarn is looking to make it two straight USGA titles for the family. Her 15-year-old sister, Ariya, won the U.S. Girls' Junior two weeks ago at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. Ariya was eliminated by Duke University All-American Lindy Duncan in the round of 32 and is now serving as Moriya's caddie.

Jutanugarn also is the highest remaining seed. She was the No. 3 qualifier out of stroke play, shooting 5-under 137. Ernst came in to match play as the 10th seed. She shot even-par 142 in qualifying.

Pancake was the No. 32 seed with a qualifying score of 2-over 144, while Kang was seeded 29th. She also shot 144.

As for the weather, we have another beautiful day in Barrington. We are expecting a storm late Sunday afternoon, but the heavy rains are not expected until the championship match is completed.

 

Can the weather get any better? For a second consecutive day, Rhode Island has blessed with sunny skies, a cool breeze and comfortable temperatures minus the humidty we had to start the week. It's ideal golf conditions for the quarterfinals of the 2011 U.S. Women's Amateur.

And all four matches should be outstanding. The 12:45 p.m. match features University of Alabama All-American Brooke Pancake -- the player with the best last name -- against incoming UCLA freshman Erynne Lee, who was a semifinalist in this event three years ago and a quarterfinalist last year. At this year's U.S. Women's Open, she led the field in driving distance over the first two rounds.

Next up at 12:55 p.m., defending champion Danielle Kang of Westlake Village, Calif., meets Demi  Frances Runas, a 19-year-old from Torrance, Calif., who plays at the University of California-Davis. Runas attended the same high school as 2006 U.S. Girls' Junior champion Jenny Shin. Good karma could also be with Kang. The last time the Women's Amateur came to Rhode Island C.C. in 1987, the defending champion, Kay Cockerill, took home the title, just months before she turned pro. Kang also is turning pro after this event.

By the way, our prayers go out to Cockerill, whose father passed away yesterday in California. Cockerill flew home this morning. Steve Burkowski will take over Cockerill's duties on the broadcast.

The 1:05 p.m. match features reigning NCAA Division I champion Austin Ernst of Seneca, S.C., and LSU against Stephanie Kono of Honolulu, a member of the victorious 2010 USA Curtis Cup Team and a UCLA All-American. Interesting enough, it was Kono's Bruins who won the 2011 NCAA team title in College Station, Texas, at the same time Ernst took the individual title, the first for the Tiger women's golf program.

The final quarterfinal will pit 16-year-old Casey Danielson of Osceola, Wis., the true surprise of the championship, against 17-year-old Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand. This has kind of a Hoosiers theme to it. Danielson comes from a town of 2,500 in northwestern Wisconsin, while Jutanugarn is one of the best juniors in the world, having already claimed low-amateur honors at last month's U.S. Women's Open at The Broadmoor. Her 15-year-old sister, Ariya, won last month's U.S. Girls' Junior at Olympia Fiels (Ill.) Country Club and last week claimed the PGA Junior Championship at Sycamore Hills G.C. in Fort Wayne, Ind., by 10 strokes. Moriya withdrew from the Girls' Junior due to an injury and instead caddied for her sister. Ariya is now serving as Moriya's caddie after being eliminated in the second round on Thursday by Lindy Duncan.

You can follow the matches on USGA.org and Golf Channel will televise the action live at 3 p.m.

Enjoy the golf. -- David Shefter

The 1953 U.S. Women’s Amateur was also played here at Rhode Island Country Club. One of the favorites was Barbara Romack of Sacramento, Calif., who had won the Canadian Women’s Open Amateur the previous week. Romack, however, had injured her left wrist in the Canadian final and wore a bandage.

The 20-year-old didn’t believe she had much chance to win the American title. NY Times golf writer, Linc Werden, knew of the injury and met Romack after the practice round. He wore a handkerchief wrapped around his left wrist, in solidarity with the Californian. Romack lasted until the fourth round, when she lost to Pat O’Sullivan, 3 and 2.

As she walked back to the clubhouse, a crowd of school-boy caddies waited behind the 18^th green, their left wrists wrapped in handkerchiefs and towels in sympathy. Romack was so touched that she went with them to the caddie shack, where she shared a soft drink and chatted.  The injury healed and Romack won the Women’s Amateur the following year.-- Rhonda Glenn      

 

Phyllis Wade Wylie, the oldest living member of either Curtis Cup Team, will celebrate her 100th birthday today (Aug. 12) at her home in Troon, Scotland. Wylie was a member of the 1938 team. She and her GB&I teammates Jessie Anderson, Nan Baird, Elsie Corlett, Helen Holm, Clarrie Tiernan and Mrs. J.B. Walker faced a very strong American team that included Patty Berg, Glenna Collett Vare (a member of Rhode Island Country Club), Maureen Orcutt, Estelle Lawson Page, Marion Miley, Kathryn Hemphill and Charlotte Glutting. The USA edged GB&I that year, 5½-3½. -- Rhonda Glenn

 

Most of the American players here at the U.S. Women's Amateur yearn to win a spot on the USA Curtis Cup team, which plays against a team from Great Britain and Ireland every two years. The 2012 match will be played at Nairn in Scotland next June. The 2012 USA Curtis Cup captain, Pat Cornett, is here this week to scout prospective American players. Cornett played on USA teams a decade apart, in 1978 and 1988. She is an oncologist and lives with her family in Mill Valley, Calif. Cornett had a meeting with members of the USGA International Team Selection Committee on Thursday morning, then went out and watched the round-of-16 matches. The champion this week, if she is American, is all but guaranteed a spot on the team, provided she remains an amateur. 

Defending champion Danielle Kang certainly would be a candidate, but she plans to turn pro after this week's competition. But other candidates will be playing on Friday, including 2010 participant Stephanie Kono. -- Rhonda Glenn  

  

Brooke Pancake was asked an obvious question after her second-round win Thursday at the Women's Amateur: So do people razz you about your last name?

"Oh all the time," said the affable 21-year-old from Chattanooga, Tenn., who will be a senior at the University of Alabama this fall.

So are there any favorite nicknames?

Pancake said her college teammates generally call her Brookie, IHOP or Cakes. She likes Cakes the best.

Although IHOP isn't bad.

Just wondering if she likes Waffle House.

All kidding aside, Pancake is one of those rare All-Americans who mixes great golf with solid academics. She has been an All-American all three years at Alabama -- first team this past season -- and carries a 4.13 GPA.

"It's really hard," said Pancake of keeping up with school and maintaining an elite golf game. "I just have to manage my time."

One of Pancake's college professors, David Noble, is here at Rhode Island C.C. this week watchng her play. The native New Englander also serves as Alabama's club ice hockey coach and often comes to the Northeast to recruit players. Noble taught one of Pancake's upper-level management classes this year.

"He just got done with summer [school] and decided to come up and root me on," she said.

Through two match-play rounds at the Women's Amateur, UCLA has been the clear winner. The reigning national champions had five golfers qualify for the championship and four made match play. Those four golfers -- Stephanie Kono, Tiffany Lua, Lee Lopez and Erynne Lee (who will be a freshman this fall) -- are a combined 8-0 after two rounds. Keep in mind, Brianna Do, who failed to make match play, won the Women's Amateur Public Links title in June.

The Bruins will lose at least one golfer this afternoon as Kono and Lua are facing each other for the third time in USGA competition. Kono owns a 2-0 advantage.

Lopez certainly has performed better at Rhode Island C.C. than she did at the WAPL when she fell in the first round after being one of the top seeds.

"I think I am a lot more patient this week," said the 21-year-old from Whittier, Calif., who will be a junior. "I'm out her to have a nice time this week and work on my game."

When told of her teammates' succes after round two, Lopez added: "I'm really proud of all my teammates. It's nice to have people like that to practice with."

 

The early morning fog has burned off and Rhode Island Country Club is splashed in sunshine for the start of the second round of match play at the 2011 U.S. Women's Amateur. The golfers could not have more ideal weather, and it should stay this way through Saturday's semifinals. There is a chance for a late shower on Sunday, but we've dodged weather bullets all week.

As for the golf, there are some delicious round-of-32 matchups. How about fourth-seeded Emma Talley, 17, of Princeton, Ky., who is headed to the University of Alabama in 2012, facing defending champion Danielle Kang, 18, of Westlake Village, Calif. Kang, who is turning pro after this championship, is bidding to become the first back-to-back Women's Amateur champion since Kelli Kuehne in 1995-96. The last Women's Amateur held at Rhode Island C.C. saw Kay Cockerill, currently of the Golf Channel, successfully defend her title. She turned pro later that fall.

Lisa McCloskey, 20, of Montgomery, Texas, the 2010 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion and a two-time U.S. Women's Open qualifier, meets 16-year-old Korean-born Julie Yang of Mesa, Ariz., who recently won the Women's Trans-Mississippi title. McCloskey had an outstanding Women's Am a year ago, losing to eventual runner-up in a 20-hole third-round thriller.

Co-medalist Lydia Ko, 14, of New Zealand, the world's No. 1-ranked female amateur according to the World Amateur Golf Ranking supported by The R & A and USGA, will be tested against 21-year-old Stephanie Kono of Honolulu, Hawaii, a member of the victorious 2010 USA Curtis Cup Team and a UCLA All-American. She is the oldest remaining player. Her Bruin and 2010 Curtis Cup teammate, Tiffany Lua, 20, of Rowland Heights, Calif., meets Mackenzie Brooke Henderson of Canada. At 13, Henderson is the youngest remaining competitor.

Amy Anderson, 19, of Oxbow, N.D., the 2009 U.S. Girls' Junior champion, meets third-seeded Moriya Jutanugarn, 17, of Thailand, the low amateur at this year's U.S. Women's Open. Anderson was near the top of the leaderboard after the first round of last month's U.S. Women's Open and made the 36-hole cut.

And at the bottom of the bracket, 2011 U.S. Girls' Junior champion Ariya Jutanugarn, 15, of Thailand, faces 20-year-old Duke University standout Lindy Duncan of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who made the cut at this year's U.S. Women's Open and was a Women's Amateur semifinalist five years ago.

As for the age breakdown, half the remaining players (16) are under the age of 18. A total of 23 are teenagers.

Kono is the only golfer who was born before 1990.

 

When I covered my first U.S. Women's Amateur 11 years ago, it was highly unlikely you would run into a college coach, unless, a) they were playing in the championship, or b) they were supporting one of their current players.

Fast forward to 2011 and the grounds at Rhode Island Country Club were littered with college coaches or assistants.

Perhaps it had something to do with the number of under-18 golfers in the field. A total of 49 started the competition on Monday and 23 advanced to match play. A 13-year-old Mackenzie Brooke Henderson of Canada, advanced to the second round, as did 14-year-olds Lydia Ko and Cindy Ha. Nicole Morales, a 15-year-old from South Salem, N.Y., beat 23-year-old Emma De Groot, a recent University of Tennessee-Chattanooga graduate, in 19 holes. Annie Park, a 16-year-old from Levittown, N.Y., went 24 holes to win her first-round match.

Such is the nature of today's Women's Amateur. College coaches certainly have more of a presence at the U.S. Girls' Junior, but with so many of those same players also qualifying for the Women's Amateur, they have to also come to this event.

That's certainly why UCLA had both their head coach (Carrie Forsyth) and assistant coach (Alicia Um) on site. The Bruins, who won this year's NCAA title, had five of their golfers in the field, four of which made match play. All four of those golfers: Erynne Lee, Lee Lopez, Stephanie Kono and Tiffany Lua won their first-round matches on Wednesday.

But Forsyth and Um also were scouting future talent. At least a half-dozen coaches were following Morales, who won't enter college until the fall of 2014.

Margaret Shirley, the assistant coach at Auburn, qualified for the Women's Amateur, but after missing the match-play cut, was out walking the course to scout the talent. "Got to start my regular job," said Shirley as she headed toward the first fairway.

Tennessee-Chattanooga coach Colette Murray served as the caddie for De Groot. So while she was helping the recent graduate, Murray also got an up-close look at the next generation of college players.

Emily Bastel, who played on the victorious 2002 USA Curtis Cup Team, was out scouting for the University of Florida. She was an assistant at Duke last year and now works for former Duke coach Jan Dowling at Florida. She was headed back to Gainesville after the first round.

Coaches from Georgia, Arizona, Denver, Vanderbilt, LSU and South Carolina were also seen on the grounds Wednesday.

After all, the next All-American or NCAA champion could be in this year's Women's Amateur field.

 

 

Two more matches have gone beyond the regulation 18 holes. Doris Chen, the 2010 U.S. Girls' Junior champion, just fell to Mexico's Gabriela Lopez on the 20th hole.

And the 2011 Girls' Junior champion, Ariya Jutanugarn, just defeated Germany's Sophia Popov on the 19th hole with a birdie-3. Popov, a University of Southern California sophomore, recently played in the Women's British Open at Carnoustie.

All told, we had eight extra-hole matches in the first round and 19 of the 32 matches went at least 18 holes. That tells you how competitive this championship has become.

Could this be a harbinger of future rounds?

 

With 27 of the 32 first-round matches in the books, five have gone beyond 18 holes, including two by a pair of UCLA All-Americans who played for the victorious 2010 USA Curtis Cup Team. Stephanie Kono and Tiffany Lua both needed late rallies to post wins on Wednesday at Rhode Island C.C. Kono, playing in her 21st USGA championship, went 19 holes to oust Madeleine Sheils of Boise, Idaho, while Lua needed 20 holes to turn away Princeton University sophomore Kelly Shon of Port Washington, N.Y.

Kono set up a second-round match with 14-year-old co-medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who is the No. 1-ranked female amateur according to the World Amateur Golf Ranking supported by The R & A and USGA. Lua will face the championship's youngest remaining contestant, Mackenzie Brooke Henderson of Canada. It was Henderson's older sister, Brittany, who opened the door for a playoff late Tuesday for the final match-play spot. A bogey at her 36th hole forced a 5-for-1 playoff that Elyse Smidinger eventually won on the second hole and used to upset the other co-medalist, 17-year-old Jihee Kim of Korea.

The longest match of the day was won by 16-year-old Annie Park of Levittown, N.Y., who went 24 holes before eliminating the oldest match-play qualifier, 23-year-old Calle Nielson of Nashville, Tenn.

Stephanie Kim of Phoenix, Ariz., also went 19 holes to beat 2010 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup participant Pamela Pretswell of Scotland.

GB&I's third player in the draw, Sally Watson of Scotland and a senior at Stanford University, fell to reigning NCAA Division I champion Austin Ernst of Seneca, S.C., 1 down.

Defending champion Danielle Kang posted a 3-and-2 win over Talia Campbell of Dallas to set up a challenging second-round match against No. 4 seed Emma Talley of Princeton, Ky. The 17-year-old, who has committed to attend Alabama in the fall of 2012, posted a 5-and-3 win over Shu-Yin Liu of Chinese Taipei. The 23-year-old Liu, who attends Tulsa, had the words "Scooby Liu" inscribed on her golf bag.

 

So far it's been a great day for American players at the Women's Amateur. Elyse Smidinger of Crofton, Md., had the biggest victory, taking out stroke-play co-medalist and No. 1 seed Jihee Kim of Korea, 2 and 1. Brooke Pancake of Chattanooga, Tenn., defeated Australian Breanna Elliott, 1 up, and then Nicole Morales, 15, of South Salem, N.Y., rallied from two holes down with two to play to beat the other Aussie in the match-play draw, Emma De Groot, in 19 holes. Morales made three consecutive birdies from No. 16 and then won the 19th hole with a par when De Groot lipped out a 6-footer.

Tiffany Lim, who made the 36-hole cut at the 2010 U.S. Women's Open, then defeated Xi Yu Lin of the People's Republic of China, 1 up.

Canada's Christina Wong is the only international golfer to so far advance. She defeated Courtney Gunter, 4 and 3.

The fun is ready to begin at the 2011 U.S. Women's Amateur at Rhode Island Country Club. Match play commences at 9 a.m. with co-medalist Jihee Kim of Korea facing 5-for-1 playoff survivor Elyse Smidinger of Crofton, Md. Both are 17 years of age.

The morning clouds have burned off and the 100-year-old Donald Ross layout is basking in sunshine. We've truly dodged some weather bullets so far. On Monday, we only had two weather delays totaling 75 minutes and the round was completed before darkness set in. On Tuesday, the weather again turned dicey in the afteernoon, but the final stroke-play round was completed, as was the playoff before darkness fell and another rainstorm doused the region.

The forecasters are calling for a chance of afternoon thunderstorms today, but hopefully we can complete the first round of match play before any weather comes through.

Just finished a breakdown of the 64-player field and the average age has dropped from 19.5 to 18.5.

 The youngest remaining player is 13-year-old Mariel Galdiano, the Pearl City, Hawaii, resident who qualified for this year's U.S. Women's Open. Galdiano faces Erynne Lee, 18, of Silverdale, Wash., at 9:50 a.m. Lee was a semifinalist at the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur and was one of the tri-medalists last year at Charlotte Country Club, where she advanced to the quarterfinals. She is headed to UCLA in the fall.

The oldest remaining player is 23-year-old Calle Nielson of Nashville, Tenn.  She is seven days older than Shu-Lin Liu of Chinese Taipei. Nielson opens against 16-year-old Annie Park of Levittown, N.Y.

Besides the USA, 13 other countries are represented. They are Korea, Australia, Canada, People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Argentina, England, Philippines, New Zealand, Scotland, Mexico and Germany. There are 39 players from the United States. Canada is next with five golfers, followed by Thailand and the Philippines with three apiece.

There are a couple of intriguing first-round matchups. In a battle of northern New Jersey, 21-year-old Marina Alex, a Vanderbilt University standout, faces 14-year-old Cindy Ha, who will celebrate her 15th birthday on Friday. Alex is from Wayne and Ha from Demarest. That match commences at 10:50 a.m.

Two girls from the Philippines also square off at 1:30 p.m. That match features 20-year-old Chihiro Ikeda against 17-year-old Sarah Ababa.

Reigning NCAA Division I champion Austin Ernst of Seneca, S.C., faces two-time Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup participant Sally Watson of Scotland at 12:40 p.m.

Should be an excellent day of golf.

A breakdown of ages: 

  

Age	Number of Players
13	2
14	2
15	4
16	4
17	11
18	5
19	11
20	14
21	6
22	2
23	3

  

A breakdown of players by country: 

 

Country	Number of Players Represented
USA	39
Canada	5
Thailand	3
Korea	2
Australia	2
England	1
Philippines	3
New Zealand	1
Scotland	2
Mexico	1
Germany	1
China	1
Chinese Taipei	1
Argentina	2

 

 

 

 

Elysse Smidinger, 17, of Crofton, Md., survived the 5-for-1 playoff by making a 4 at the par-4 16th hole, the second playoff hole. Emily Collins of Colleyville, Texas, and Kendall Prince of Lake Oswego, Ore., each made 5s. Smidinger, who will be a senior at Arundel High this fall, will face co-medalist Jihee Kim, 17, of Korea in the first match on Wednesday at 9 a.m. EDT.

This is Smidinger's second USGA event. She missed the match-play cut at the 2010 U.S. Girls' Junior.

In 2009, she won the Maryland State Golf Association Girls' Junior and was runner-up at the 2009 MSGA Women's Amateur.

She is a former gymnast who once won the Level 6 Maryland State Championship.  

We are down to three players for the last match-play spot. Elyse Smidinger of Crofton, Md., Emily Collins of Colleyville, Texas, and Kendall Prince of Lake Oswego, Ore., all made pars on the 380-yard, par-4 15th hole. Haley Stephens of Greer, S.C., did not record a score and Brittany Henderson of Canada, who bogeyed her final hole of regulation to get into the playoff, made a 5.

The players have moved on to the 395-yard, par-4 16th hole. This likely will be the last hole of the day if a survivor isn't decided here. Daylight is rapidly fading here at Rhode Island Country Club.

A bogey by Brittany Henderson at her 36th hole, the par-4 ninth, gave new life to four other golfers hoping to play in the first round of match play on Wednesday. Henderson, along with Kendall Prince, Elyse Smidinger, Haley Stephens and Emily Collins all finished at 7-over 149. They will begin at hole No. 15 and play 16, 17 and 18 until there is one survivor. That golfer will either face Jihee Kim or Lydia Ko, depending on how the computer splits up the co-medalists in the draw.

Six USGA champions failed to qualify, including the last two U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champions, Brianna Do (2011) and Emily Tubert (2010). Also failing to advance were three-time U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion Meghan Stasi, 2009 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion Martha Leach, 2010 USGA Senior Women's Amateur champion Mina Hardin and 2009 Senior Women's Amateur champion Sherry Herman.

Other notables who didn't advance were Marissa Dodd (2011 WAPL runner-up), 2011 U.S. Girls' Junior runner-up Dottie Ardina, 2010 Women's Mid-Am runner-up Carol Robertson, 2010 U.S. Women's Amateur tri-medalist Rachel Rohanna, 2008 U.S. Girls' Junior runner-up Karen Chung and 2010 Senior Women's Amateur runner-up Alexandra Frazier.

None of the 11 mid-amateurs (25 and over) survived the cut. Last year, only Stasi made the cut among the mid-amateurs in the field.

All five players from the most recent Curtis Cup Match did advance. They include Stephanie Kono and Tiffany Lua from the USA, and Sally Watson, Pamela Pretswell and Holly Clyburn from the Great Britain and Ireland side.

USGA champions Ariya Jutanugarn (2011 Girls' Junior), Kristen Park (2007 Girls' Junior), Doris Chen (2010 Girls' Junior), Amy Anderson (2009 Girls' Junior) and defending Women's Amateur champion Danielle Kang all advanced as well.

We'll update the playoff as we get results.

Korea's Jihee Kim carded a 1-under 70 on Tuesday and stands at 6-under 136, which ties her with 14-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand for medalist honors at the 2011 U.S. Women's Amateur at Rhode Island C.C. Kim, who shot a 66 in Monday's first round, said she struggled with her putter on Tuesday, registering 31 putts compared to 26 on Monday. This is Kim's first match-play competition, while Ko claimed the New Zealand Amateur title in April after winning the 72-hole medal. Ko is the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, according to World Amateur Golf Ranking that is supported by The R&A and USGA. Kim, who is the No. 98-ranked female in the world, did shoot a 63 in last fall's Women's World Amateur Team Championship in leading Korea to a remarkable 17-stroke win over the USA in Argentina. She is coming off a T-21 effort at last month's Callaway Junior World event at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

 

It's cut day at the 111th U.S. Women's  Amateur, which always means a few anxious moments for those players on the match-play bubble. At least the competitors are being greeted with sunshine and the forecast for today is much better than on Monday when the afternoon wave of 78 golfers endured a pair of delays totaling 75 minutes. Our on-site meteorologist, Jake Swick, said clouds and wind should increase this afternoon with most of the showers predicted for the region to stay to our west through the early afternoon. There is a chance we could see a shower or possible thunderstorm after 5 p.m., but the best chance for showers will come between 8 p.m. tonight and 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Let's hope that is the case.

As for the play, Jihee Kim of Korea made a strong opening statement to be medalist with a 5-under 66. But she goes off in the afternoon on Tuesday and won't have the same favorable weather conditions she enjoyed on Monday morning when there was virtually no wind.

We'll know more about the cutline as players begin posting scores later today.

One player, Asia Adell of Fresno, Calif., withdrew last night.

Play has once again resumed after a 37-minute weather delay. Earlier on Monday afternoon, play was suspended for 38 minutes for dangerous weather.

Another storm has hit Rhode Island C.C., bringing heavy rain and another suspension of play, this time at 6:33 p.m. EDT. While there is no visible evidence of lightning, the rain is coming down hard. The last groups of the afternoon wave have four holes to play. At least 45 of the 78 players who teed off in the afternoon wave have completed the first round.

Play has resumed at the U.S. Women's Amateur after a 38-minute delay for dangerous weather in the area. Now it will be a race against the sun for everyone in the afternoon wave to finish the first round of stroke-play qualifying.

A thunderstorm in the area has forced USGA officials to suspend play at the U.S. Women's Amateur. The horns sounded at 5:12 p.m. EDT. They are currently keeping players in the evacuation vehicles.

Just received a stat from the USGA's Allison Jarrett, who is involved with the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program. A total of 18 LPGA-USGA Girls Golf alums are competing at this week's U.S. Women's Amateur, including 2006 Women's Amateur semifinalist Lindy Duncan. The Duke Univesity standout also made the cut at last month's U.S. Women's Open at The Broadmoor. Alison Lee is another alum. The Californian appeared in one of the USGA's new public-service announcements that were produced this year at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, Calif. Lee made the cut at the 2009 U.S. Women's Open at Saucon Valley C.C.

Here is the full list of alums and their Girls Golf site:

Name	Site Location	Years
Sarah Bae	Greensboro, N.C.	2008-11
Betty Chen	Pleasanton, Calif.	2008-11
Hannah Collier	Birmingham, Ala.	2003-05
Lindy Duncan	West Palm Beach, Fla.	2002-05
Allison Emrey	Winston-Salem, N.C.	2007-09
Courtney Gunter	Winston-Salem, N.C.	2004-07
Mikayla Harmon	Phoenix, Ariz.	2004-08
Courtney Hooton	San Diego, Calif.	2004-06
Stephanie Kim	Phoenix, Ariz.	2004-08
Alison Lee	Los Angeles, Calif.	2002-05
Steffi Nelsen	Greater Minneapolis, Minn.	2003-11
Taylor Newlin	Dallas, Texas	2002-03
Calle Nielson	Old Franklin, Tenn.	1997
Rachel Rohanna	Columbiana, Ohio	2000
Taelor Rubin	Greensboro, N.C.	2008-10
Madeleine Sheils	Boise, Idaho	1998
Elyse Smidinger	Winston-Salem, N.C.	2010-11
Samantha Stancato	Colorado Springs, Colo.	2001

 

 

It's always interesting to go inside the numbers at an event like the Women's Amateur and see what the stats dictate. One of the things I always do when I cover the Women's Amateur is look at the age breakdown, and it's fascinating to see where the amateur game is going. In this case, it's going younger and younger.

If you went back 25 years, you might find a handful of juniors (ages 17 and under) playing in the Women's Amateur. Today, the field is almost 33 percent made up of players who have yet to turn 18. In fact, 49 golfers in this year's championship are 17 and under.

There are almost as many 16-year-olds (12) playing as 21-year-olds (13).

Those 19 and 20 years of age make up just more than 33 percent of the field, led by 29 golfers who are 19 years old. We have 26 players who are 20. The next largest group is the 17-year-olds, where 24 are represented.

Only 11 mid-amateurs (25 years and older) are in the field, and six got here via exemptions through reaching last year's U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur or USGA Senior Women's Amateur title or, in the case of Martha Leach and Sherry Herman, winning the 2009 Women's Mid-Amateur and Senior Women's Amateur titles, respectively.

So what does that say? It means more and more of the elite female players are turning professional at an earlier age. It's common now to see top female players turn pro either prior to or after graduating high school.

Think of the young golfers who could still be in college/high school today that would be in this year's field: Alexis Thompson, Jessica Korda, Vicky Hurst, Jenny Shin, Ginger Howard and Michelle Wie.

Juli Inkster, a three-time Women's Amateur champion, made a comment at her pre-Women's Open media conference that what she accomplished in the early 1980s (winning three consecutive Women's Ams) likely won't happen again. Players are more likely to turn pro after winning one.

Somebody commented this week that it was nice to have a defending champion in the field. Yes, Danielle Kang is playing this week, but this is her final amateur event. She plans to turn pro not long after the competition concludes. You have to go back to 2007 when the Women's Amateur had the defending champion in the field (Kimberly Kim). When Mariajo Uribe won in 2007, she opted to play the Women's British Open rather than defend her title.

Such is the nature of golf, especially women's golf, in the year 2011. -- David Shefter

The 111th U.S. Women's Amateur Championship commenced Monday morning under sunny skies, a far cry from what the competitors saw Sunday with winds and driving rain that soaked the Rhode Island Country Club course. Fortunately, the morning fog that hit a few regions of New England this morning avoided Barrington and play started on time at 7 a.m.

Unfortunately, the lack of fog will allow the atmosphere to heat up, giving us a 60 percent chance of storm today, according to our on-site meteorologist, Jake Swick. Swick said storms could develop as early as 11 a.m., with the highest threat coming between 2 and 5. Let's hope the forecast is wrong and the T-storms stay away from RICC today. -- David Shefter

Stephanie Parel, the director of the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, just announced that Rhode Island Country Club's course will be closed for the remainder of the day. Players and caddies may still walk the course if they like, but may not take their clubs and they must stay off of putting greens. The practice area also has been shut down for the time being. If the weather lets up, the range may re-open. Play is expected to start on schedule for Monday's first stroke-play qualifying round.

Heavy rains have pelted the Barrington, R.I., area since this morning. The USGA agronomist, Jim Skorulski, said that three-quarters of an inch had fallen as of noon. Standing water could be seen on a bunch of holes on the Donald Ross layout.

 

 

The final practice round for the 2011 U.S. Women's Amateur is more like a survival fest -- as in trying to stay dry. It has been pouring since early this morning at Rhode Island Country Club with no let-up in sight. Our USGA agronomist on site, Jim Skorulski said the course had received three-quarters of an inch of rain as of noon. We could get more than an inch before the storm ceases. Some players, believe it or not, have gone out in the elements to play, although there is standing water on the course. Hopefully, this storm will exit the premises sometime today, so we can have quality playing conditions for Monday's first round of stroke-play qualifying. We want to see golf, not sailboat races.

Blogging will begin the week of the championship.