Bandon, Ore. – Kelsey Vines did not let Mother Nature stand in her way. The 20-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, withstood the constant rain and wind to card an even-par 71 and take the lead after one round of stroke-play qualifying at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. The first round of qualifying was conducted at the 6,098-yard, par-71 Old Macdonald at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
Vines, who recently transferred to Oklahoma State University, played steady afternoon golf to go along with the steady wind, rain and chill that plagued Old Macdonald. Her three birdies, including back-to-back ones on holes 11 and 12, balanced out her three bogeys for a 34-37–71 scorecard.
Vines admitted that, despite the adverse weather conditions, it was a pretty easy day.
I just kind of had to take it one shot at a time, said Vines, who won the 2011 UNLV Spring Invitational as a member of the Brigham Young University golf team. Off the drive, I said let’s get it on the fairway. Second shot, I said let’s get it on the green and just two-putt.
It makes it sound simple but it kind of was today. You just have to play with the wind and play with the hills and the bounces that this course gives you.
Vines credited some of her apparent comfort with the Old Macdonald links to her experience at another USGA championship – the 2008 Women’s Amateur Public Links conducted at Erin Hills, another firm-and-fast, Scottish-inspired track outside of Milwaukee that will host the 2011 U.S. Amateur and the 2017 U.S. Open.
I played Erin Hills a couple of years ago and they’re kind of similar, both links, said Vines. I feel it helped me prepare for this and what to expect.
While Vines ended the day as the only player able to stay at par, several players are close behind. Right on her heels are Julie Yang, 15, of Mesa, Ariz., and Cheyenne Woods, 20, of Phoenix, Ariz., whose 1-over 72 rounds paced the morning wave.
Both Yang and Woods took to Old Macdonald early, before the biting wind and rain were more than a small nuisance.
I was lucky because I teed off in the morning, so the wind was a lot calmer than it is now, said Yang, a native of Korea who competed at the 2010 Ricoh Women’s British Open and won the 2010 English Women’s Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship. I managed to stay steady and keep focused and just had solid pars all the way through. So I managed to get a good score in.
Woods, 20, of Phoenix, Ariz., played a slightly more up-and-down round, carding three birdies to go with four bogeys. Woods felt that her game finally came together, particularly considering she came into the championship after working on her swing mechanics.
I felt really good, said Woods, the winner of the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and the niece of nine-time USGA champion Tiger Woods. I knew going in that this course wasn’t the easiest. I knew that I needed to take advantage of my good tee time, since there wasn’t much wind on the first nine holes.
Defending Women’s Amateur Public Links champion Emily Tubert is also very much in the mix. The 19-year-old from Burbank, Calif., bounced back from a bogey and double bogey over her first three holes to finish at 2-over 73, two strokes behind Vines.
Tubert, who just completed a stellar freshman season at the University of Arkansas that included three tournament victories, came into the first round a bit intimidated by the challenge of Old Macdonald. The first-day success helped calm her championship nerves.
During the practice round, I was a little overwhelmed I think by the whole thing, as I’m sure many of the contestants were, said Tubert. But after today, I really enjoyed it. It’s a beautiful golf course. Playing it now and keeping score, you know why it’s such a world-renowned golf course.
2011 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier Christine Wolf of Chattanooga, Tenn., opened her round with a two-under-par 32, but cooled over her second nine to finish at 3-over 74. She is followed by a group of nine players at 4-over, including Scotland’s Sally Watson, who has represented her home country at the last two Curtis Cup Matches.
The 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public
Links will continue with the second round of stroke-play qualifying on Tuesday
at the 6,095-yard, par-71 Bandon Trails. Following stroke play, the 155-player
field will be trimmed to 64 for match play, with the champion scheduled to be
decided in a 36-hole final on Saturday.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links is one of 13 championships conducted
annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for
amateurs.
Christina Lance is a coordinator of championship communications for the USGA. Email questions or comments to clance@usga.org.
Results
Bandon Ore. – Results from the first round of stroke-play qualifying at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, being conducted at the 6,098-yard, par-71 Old Macdonald at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort:
Kelsey Vines, San Antonio, Texas - 34-37–71
Cheyenne Woods, Phoenix, Ariz. - 33-39–72
Julie Yang, Mesa, Ariz. - 35-37–72
Emily Tubert, Burbank, Calif. - 35-38–73
Christine Wolf, Chattanooga, Tenn. - 32-42–74
Brittany Altomare, Shrewsbury, Mass. - 34-41–75
Annie Park, Levittown, N.Y. - 36-39–75
Sally Watson, Scotland - 36-39–75
Lee Lopez, Whittier, Calif. - 36-39–75
Rachel Morris, Carlsbad, Calif. - 35-40–75
Prima Thammaraks, Ames, Iowa - 36-39–75
Ciera Min, Hilo, Hawaii - 35-40–75
Kim Kaufman, Clark, S.D. - 36-39–75
Grace Na, Oakland, Calif. - 35-40–75
Allisen Corpuz, Honolulu, Hawaii - 36-40–76
Hanule Seo, St. Louis, Mo. - 36-40–76
Emilie Burger, Hoschton, Ga. - 39-37–76
Marissa Dodd, Allen, Texas - 37-39–76
Anna Hancock, Lakeland, Fla. - 34-42–76
Alex Stewart, Peoria, Ariz. - 38-38–76
Ani Gulugian, Irvine, Calif. - 37-40–77
Mariel Galdiano, Pearl City, Hawaii - 39-38–77
Lisa Meshke, West Des Moines, Iowa - 34-43–77
Wanasa Zhou, People's Republic of China - 34-43–77
Briana Mao, Folsom, Calif. - 39-38–77
Tiffany Lim, San Jose, Calif. - 39-38–77
Somin Lee, Denver, Colo. - 35-43–78
Kris Yoo, Schaumburg, Ill. - 40-38–78
Brittany Mai, Poway, Calif. - 39-39–78
Ashley Edwards, Oakley, Calif. - 35-43–78
Stephanie Kono, Honolulu, Hawaii - 40-38–78
Stephanie Kim, Tempe, Ariz. - 39-39–78
Angel Yin, Arcadia, Calif. - 38-40–78
Michele Edlin, Jackson, Minn. - 35-43–78
Harin Lee, Bayside, N.Y. - 35-44–79
Bethany Wu, Diamond Bar, Calif. - 38-41–79
Alexandra Kaui, Las Vegas, Nev. - 40-39–79
Alice Choi, Whitestone, N.Y. - 36-43–79
Mandi Morrow, Kent, Ohio - 38-41–79
Jennifer Yang, Canada - 38-41–79
Anna Jang, Aiea, Hawaii - 38-41–79
Katie-Rose Higgins, Charleston, S.C. - 42-37–79
Joanne Lee, San Carlos, Calif. - 37-42–79
Marianne Li, Bellevue, Wash. - 38-41–79
Alainna Stefan, Dearborn, Mich. - 36-43–79
Augusta James, Canada - 37-43–80
Lisa McCloskey, Montgomery, Texas - 36-44–80
Margo Dionisio, Whittier, Calif. - 37-43–80
Olivia Lugar, Rockledge, Fla. - 38-42–80
Kimberly Johnson, San Diego, Calif. - 37-43–80
Catherine Dolan, Ballwin, Mo. - 41-39–80
Vaishavi Sinha, West Lafayette, Ind. - 41-39–80
Demi Frances Runas, Torrance, Calif. - 38-42–80
Kelsey Chugg, Ogden, Utah - 39-41–80
Ket Preamchuen, Kennesaw, Ga. - 37-43–80
Ericka Schneider, Bradenton, Fla. - 37-43–80
Whitney French, Laguna Niguel, Calif. - 36-44–80
Kelly Shon, Port Washington, N.Y. - 39-41–80
Holly Bare, Clovis, Calif. - 38-42–80
Alli Weaver, Lititz, Pa. - 36-44–80
Tiffany Lua, Rowland Heights, Calif. - 41-40–81
Mieke Canan, Tacna, Ariz. - 38-43–81
Lauren Archer, Boise, Idaho - 37-44–81
Kelli Oride, Lihue, Hawaii - 38-43–81
Gianna Misenhelter, Overland Park, Kan. - 40-41–81
Maria Ronderos, Colombia - 36-45–81
Ashlan Ramsey, Milledgeville, Ga. - 38-43–81
Ellen Mueller, Bartlesville, Okla. - 38-43–81
Beth Wagner, Ankeny, Iowa - 38-43–81
Allyssa Ferrell, Edgerton, Wis. - 41-41–82
Samantha Gotcher, Clarksville, Tenn. - 37-45–82
Ember Schuldt, Sterling, Ill. - 39-43–82
Taylor Schmidt, Canada - 40-42–82
Kristen Park, Buena Park, Calif. - 39-43–82
Madison Opfer, Plant City, Fla. - 42-40–82
Brianna Do, Viet Nam - 38-44–82
Nicole Quinn, Windermere, Fla. - 37-45–82
Rachel Rohanna, Waynesburg, Pa. - 40-42–82
Jessica Chulya, Thailand - 40-42–82
Kaci Masuda, Honolulu, Hawaii - 41-41–82
Glynnis Price, Shiprock, N.M. - 42-41–83
Sandra Angulo, Mexico - 38-45–83
Mia Landegren, Bridgewater, Conn. - 42-41–83
Ashley Holder, Orlando, Fla. - 40-43–83
Szu-Hsuan Huang, Chinese Taipei - 39-44–83
Xi Yu Lin, Beaumont, Calif. - 42-41–83
Emily Gilbreth, Bellaire, Texas - 38-45–83
Steffi Neisen, New Prague, Minn. - 40-43–83
T.J. Kliebphipat, Panorama City, Calif. - 39-44–83
Dree Fausnaugh, Winter Park, Fla. - 41-42–83
Lauren Cate, St. Augustine, Fla. - 42-41–83
Karen Arimoto, Japan - 39-44–83
Nani Yanagi, Hilo, Hawaii - 40-43–83
Kristin Paulson, Ottumwa, Iowa - 41-42–83
Teo Poplawski, Williston, Vt. - 37-46–83
Laura Murray, Tipp City, Ohio - 43-41–84
Kristi O'Brien, Fort Wayne, Ind. - 41-43–84
Brooke Baker, Edmond, Okla. - 36-48–84
Paloma Nunez, Granbury, Texas - 38-46–84
Julia McQuilken, Riverview, Fla. - 41-43–84
Thuhashini Selvaratnam, Sri Lanka - 42-42–84
Ashley Haggard, Savannah, Tenn. - 39-45–84
Shu-Yin Liu, Chinese Taipei - 43-41–84
J.C. Weaver, Grand Island, Neb. - 41-44–85
Taylor Bickell, Napa, Calif. - 45-40–85
Allie Johnston, Castle Rock, Colo. - 41-44–85
Michelle Piyapattra, Corona, Calif. - 38-47–85
Danielle Gillaspy, Santa Maria, Calif. - 40-45–85
Alleman Zech, Indian Wells, Calif. - 39-46–85
Torey Johnson, Moore, S.C. - 41-44–85
Cheyenne Hickle, Gilbert, Ariz. - 42-43–85
Karolyne Shieh, Carlsile, Mass. - 39-46–85
Katie Keiser, Gothenburg, Neb. - 39-46–85
Kaitlen Parsons, Spokane, Wash. - 39-46–85
Shang-Fan Huang, Houston, Texas - 42-43–85
Sirene Blair, South Jordan, Utah - 40-46–86
Jennifer Clark, Kansas City, Kan. - 40-46–86
Dianne Luke, Malaysia - 42-44–86
Raychelle Santos, La Quinta, Calif. - 37-49–86
Caroline Sweet, Bowie, Md. - 43-44–87
Shannon Lubar, Littelton, Colo. - 42-45–87
Tara Lyons, Little River, S.C. - 40-47–87
Meaghan Kari, Windsor, Calif. - 40-47–87
Kathleen Rojas, Turlock, Calif. - 41-46–87
Christy Fogerty, San Diego, Calif. - 40-47–87
Jen Lawson, Mahomet, Ill. - 41-46–87
Brittany Atterbury, Rockton, Ill. - 44-43–87
Allison Lee, Salisbury, N.C. - 40-47–87
Caitlin Bliss, Katy, Texas - 42-45–87
Elizabeth Doty, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. - 42-45–87
Yu-Hsin Chang, Chinese Taipei - 40-47–87
Kendall Dusenberry, Newhall, Calif. - 41-47–88
Jessica Tarbet, Corryton, Tenn. - 44-44–88
Molly Dorans, Erie, Colo. - 43-46–89
Alexis Biedrzycki, New Lenox, Ill. - 42-47–89
Renata Young, Canada - 45-44–89
Caitlin Osborn, Glen Carbon, Ill. - 44-45–89
Nicole Kulasa, Amherst, Ohio - 46-43–89
Hannah Pierce, King George, Va. - 45-44–89
Terri McAngus, Eagle River, Alaska - 43-47–90
Rosalie Kubesheski, Dubuque, Iowa - 42-48–90
Jinny Kim, Coppell, Texas - 44-47–91
Katie Purcell, Ames, Iowa - 45-46–91
Chanet Fiorina, Santa Fe, N.M. - 42-49–91
Katherine Wooliver, Cincinnati, Ohio - 46-45–91
Abbie Horan, Antioch, Ill. - 43-48–91
Jennifer Delgadillo, El Paso, Texas - 44-48–92
Wan-Ling Chung, Chinese Taipei - 44-48–92
Jessie Jordan, Urbana, Ohio - 47-46–93
Lea Garner, Washington Terrace, Utah - 41-52–93
Meghan Theiss, Lagrange, Ky. - 41-53–94
Sengha Choi, Aurora, Colo. - 43-51–94
Sadie Palmer, Stansbury Park, Utah - 45-50–95
Suzie Lee, Long Island, N.Y. - 48-48–96
Kim Everett, Anchorage, Alaska - 49-54–103