Yumi Matsubara, of Japan, made her mark on the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship on Tuesday, carding a championship-record 7-under-par 64 and taking medalist honors at 7-under 135.
At 135, Matsubara tied the championship stroke-play qualifying record by Courtney (Swaim) Trimble at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, N.Y., in 2002. Her 64 bettered the previous low qualifying score of 65 by Rachel Rohanna, who posted it in the opening round of the 2010 championship at Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club.
Matsubara finished five strokes clear of a trio of players at 2-under 140 – Allisen Corpuz, of Honolulu; Emma Talley, of Princeton, Ky.; and Yueer Cindy Feng, of Orlando, Fla. Five players sit at 1-under 141, including 2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champion Emily Tubert, of Burbank, Calif.; Matsubara’s countrywoman Kotone Hori; and 2013 Royale Cup Canadian Women’s Amateur champion Brooke Mackenzie Henderson.
Monday’s windswept weather gave way to a calm course on Tuesday that was very receptive to low numbers. The scoring average dropped more than three strokes, from 77.2 on Monday to 74.1 on Tuesday.
No player took more advantage of the prime scoring conditions than Matsubara, who carded a remarkable seven birdies and no bogeys along the Seth Raynor-designed course without missing a single fairway.
"I wasn’t even thinking about the championship record, but it feels very good," said Matsubara through translator June Nagashima, an official with the Japan Golf Association (JGA). The 7-under-par effort ties Matsubara’s career best, a pair of 7-under 65s in the Japanese Women’s Amateur.
Matsubara is certainly making the most of her first extensive trip to the United States. As the top player on the JGA’s national team, she earned the opportunity to travel to Oakland, Calif., for the U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier at Sequoyah Country Club. After a brief return to Japan, Matsubara and Hori traveled to Charleston together for the championship.
Feng’s scorecard featured three birdies and no bogeys, a score that was no doubt aided by the marked weather change from Monday to Tuesday. Monday’s 20-mph winds dissipated overnight, which helped to put Feng’s mind at ease.
"The weather's a lot nicer, so that makes it easier," said Feng, 17. "Yesterday my driving was really poor. I kept missing fairways 30 yards to the right, so that always makes it hard on the second shot. Today was more of trying to make birdies instead of trying to save (par) all the time."
Corpuz held the 18-hole lead after Monday’s play, with her 69 the only subpar round. She had a shaky start on Tuesday, carding three bogeys over her first 10 holes. But a 10-foot birdie at the par-4 fourth hole (her 13th) righted the ship. Two more 10-foot birdie putts brought Corpuz back to an even-par round.
"I showed myself that I can definitely play well against other people," said Corpuz of her steely comeback.
This trip to Charleston marks the first visit to the United States for Hori, who earned an exemption by finishing among the top eight individuals at the 2012 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey. The 17-year-old high school senior has adapted well to this American golf course, thanks in part to her caddie, Donavon Schmidt.
"When I had a mistake, he said, it’s OK, it’s going to be fine. That helped a lot," said Hori through Nagashima. "Because I had a good caddie, I read well on the putting lines."
Hori felt comfortable on the course’s wide fairways, which certainly showed on her scorecard, as five birdies to only two bogeys on Tuesday paved her road to match play. She will attempt to qualify for the LPGA of Japan Tour after her high school graduation.
Henderson’s 1-under 70 came courtesy of four birdies and three bogeys. The 15-year-old, who recently won her home country’s Women’s Amateur, is attempting to become just the eighth player to win both championships. She would join an illustrious list that includes Glenna Collett Vare and Marlene Stewart Streit.
"It was a bit of an up-and-down day," said Henderson, who tied for 59th at the U.S. Women’s Open in June. "I hit the ball well, just missed a few short putts. Hopefully I can practice that and get them tomorrow."
In a remarkable comeback, 10-year-old Lucy Li rebounded from an 11-over 82 with a round of 1-under 70 on Tuesday afternoon, giving her the best two-day score improvement of the championship, though she fell two strokes short of the playoff for match play. Li, the youngest competitor in championship history, attracted a small gallery as her round progressed, and she even received a round of applause when she exited the scoring tent.
"My putting was better, I hit it straighter and I got off to a better start," said Li, who added that her 70 is her best-ever score, topping her previous career-low of 71 that she shot in the second round of stroke play at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. "I’m pretty happy. I just wish I played better yesterday."
After a disappointing 6-over 77 on Monday afternoon, Casie Cathrea, 17, of Livermore, Calif., jumped up the leader board with a 4-under 67 on Tuesday morning, highlighted by an eagle-2 on the second hole. Joining Cathrea with a 67 was Cyna Marie Rodriguez, 21, of the Philippines.
Princess Superall, 16, of the Philippines, added her name to the Women’s Amateur record book with a 5-under 66, tied for the third-lowest score in championship history. Five other women have returned that total, including Lydia Ko in both 2011 and 2012.
Two Mid-Amateurs advanced to Wednesday’s match play, though both players stumbled across the finish line. Four-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Meghan Stasi, 34, of Oakland Park, Fla., returned rounds of 71 and 76 for a two-day total of 5-over 147, while Dawn Woodard, 38, of Greer, S.C., carded 72-77–149.
Five-time USGA champion Ellen Port missed the cut with a 12-over 154. Other notables to miss the cut include 2010 Girls’ Junior runner-up Karen Chung, 2010 GB&I Curtis Cup player Lisa Maguire, 2012 Women’s Amateur quarterfinalist Marijosse Navarro, and Jessica Vasilic, who reached the round of 16 at the 2012 Women’s Amateur.
Christina Lance is the assistant manager of communications for the USGA. Email her at clance@usga.org.
Results
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Results from Tuesday’s second round of stroke-play qualifying at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, being conducted at the 6,488-yard, par-71 Country Club of Charleston (* = in a playoff):
Yumi Matsubara, Japan - 71-64—135
Allisen Corpuz, Honolulu, Hawaii - 69-71—140
Emma Talley, Princeton, Ky. - 71-69—140
Yueer Cindy Feng, Orlando, Fla. - 72-68—140
Brittany Fan, Pearl City, Hawaii - 72-69—141
Emily Tubert, Burbank, Calif. - 71-70—141
Alison Lee, Valencia, Calif. - 72-69—141
Brooke Mackenzie Henderson, Canada - 71-70—141
Kotone Hori, Japan - 73-68—141
Princess Superal, Philippines - 76-66—142
Su-Hyun Oh, Australia - 73-69—142
Kelly Shon, Port Washington, N.Y. - 74-68—142
Nicole Morales, South Salem, N.Y. - 75-68—143
Cyna Marie Rodriguez, Philippines - 76-67—143
Caroline Inglis, Eugene, Ore. - 74-69—143
Lori Beth Adams, Burlington, N.C. - 73-71—144
Kendall Prince, Lake Oswego, Ore. - 71-73—144
Aurora Kan, Boothwyn, Pa. - 73-71—144
Ally McDonald, Fulton, Miss. - 72-72—144
Casie Cathrea, Livermore, Calif. - 77-67—144
Carolin Pinegger, Austria - 71-73—144
Grace Na, Oakland, Calif. - 75-70—145
Stephanie Meadow, Northern Ireland - 72-73—145
Minjee Lee, Australia - 73-72—145
Erynne Lee, Silverdale, Wash. - 75-70—145
Mariel Galdiano, Pearl City, Hawaii - 72-73—145
Cammie Gray, Northport, Ala. - 75-70—145
Annie Park, Levittown, N.Y. - 74-71—145
Ember Schuldt, Sterling, Ill. - 73-72—145
Christine Meier, Rochester Hills, Mich. - 75-71—146
Katelyn Sepmoree, Tyler, Texas - 74-72—146
Lauren Diaz-Yi, Thousand Oaks, Calif. - 75-71-146
Desiree Dubreuil, Santa Ana, Calif. - 75-71—146
Kyung Kim, Chandler, Ariz. - 75-71—146
Tatiana Wijaya, Indonesia - 74-72—146
Emily Collins, Colleyville, Texas - 76-70—146
Lauren Stephenson, Lexington, S.C. - 75-71—146
Simin Feng, People's Republic of China - 76-70—146
Katelyn Dambaugh, Goose Creek, S.C. - 74-72—146
Doris Chen, Chinese Taipei - 74-72—146
Elizabeth Nagel, Dewitt, Mich. - 75-71—146
Leona Maguire, Republic of Ireland - 75-71—146
Megan Khang, Rockland, Mass. - 72-74—146
Meghan Stasi, Oakland Park, Fla. - 71-76—147
Sophia Popov, Germany - 74-73—147
Allyssa Ferrell, Edgerton, Wis. - 72-75—147
Gabriella Then, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. - 73-74—147
Casey Danielson, Osceola, Wis. - 76-71—147
Clariss Guce, Philippines - 72-75—147
Elizabeth Wang, San Marino, Calif. - 79-68—147
Maria Fassi, Mexico - 77-71—148
Liv Cheng, New Zealand - 77-71—148
Gabriela Lopez, Mexico - 76-72—148
Jessie Gerry, Madison, Wis. - 75-74—149
Alexandra Harkins, Crystal Lake, Ill. - 75-74—149
Kelly Grassel, Chesterton, Ind. - 74-75—149
Kacie Komoto, Honolulu, Hawaii - 77-72—149
Dawn Woodard, Greer, S.C. - 72-77—149
Ashlan Ramsey, Milledgeville, Ga. - 76-73—149
Monica Petchakan, Encino, Calif. - 76-73—149
*Laura Wearn, Charlotte, N.C. - 79-71—150
*Lydia Choi, Beverly Hills, Calif. - 76-74—150
*Saki Iida, Gilbert, Ariz. - 75-75—150
*Bianca Maria Fabrizio, Italy - 80-70—150
Failed to Qualify
*Jennifer Yang, Republic of Korea - 76-74—150
Kendall Martindale, Jefferson City, Tenn. - 78-73—151
Andrea Lee, Hermosa Beach, Calif. - 78-73—151
Paige Lee, Folsom, Calif. - 74-77—151
Ashley Holder, Orlando, Fla. - 76-75—151
Yu Liu, People's Republic of China - 79-72—151
Lucia Polo, Guatemala - 76-75—151
Jennifer Coleman, Rolling Hills Estate, Calif. - 77-74—151
Haley Andreas, Pacific Grove, Calif. - 78-73—151
Talia Campbell, Dallas, Texas - 80-71—151
Jennifer Dilger, Palmdale, Calif. - 80-71—151
Shawn Rennegarbe, Addieville, Ill. - 75-76—151
Lucy Li, Redwood Shores, Calif. - 82-70—152
Grace Lennon, Australia - 78-74—152
Spencer Heller, Turlock, Calif. - 76-76—152
Grace Park, P.R. Korea - 79-73—152
Christina Foster, Canada - 79-73—152
Marijosse Navarro, Mexico - 74-78—152
Aya Johnson, North Muskegon, Mich. - 80-72—152
Mariko Tumangan, San Jose, Calif. - 76-76—152
Eunjeong Seong, Republic of Korea - 75-77—152
Alyssa Shimel, Perrysburg, Ohio - 76-76—152
Erica Stoner, Ocala, Fla. - 77-76—153
McKenzie Talbert, North Augusta, S.C. - 79-74—153
Lakareber Abe, Angleton, Texas - 76-77—153
Lauren Sewell, Renton, Wash. - 72-81—153
Briana Mao, Folsom, Calif. - 79-74—153
Abby Newton, Katy, Texas - 79-74—153
Emily Ransone, Hilliard, Ohio - 80-73—153
Hayley Bettencourt, Australia - 78-75—153
Emma Lavy, Fayetteville, Ark. - 77-76—153
Karen Chung, Livingston, N.J. - 77-77—154
Sydney Merchant, Morrison, Colo. - 79-75—154
Angel Yin, Arcadia, Calif. - 78-76—154
Danielle Lee, La Mirada, Calif. - 81-73—154
Jennifer Kupcho, Westminster, Colo. - 80-74—154
Jacqueline Chang, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 81-73—154
Ellen Port, St. Louis, Mo. - 78-76—154
Katie Petrino, Louisville, Ky. - 81-73—154
Kalynd Carson, The Woodlands, Texas - 80-74—154
Jessica Vasilic, Sweden - 80-74—154
Chaewon Park, San Pedro, Calif. - 76-78—154
Lisa Maguire, Republic of Ireland - 82-72—154
Vaishavi Sinha, India - 79-75—154
Chelsea Mocio, Fort Worth, Texas - 82-73—155
Abigail Portyrata, Midlothian, Va. - 78-77—155
Sloan Shanahan, Suwanee, Ga. - 81-74—155
Shelby Martinek, Tempe, Ariz. - 82-73—155
Alex Rossi, Austin, Texas - 81-74—155
Taylor Yoshitake, Los Angeles, Calif. - 77-78—155
Rinko Mitsunaga, Japan - 80-75—155
Isabelle Kane, Winnetka, Ill. - 80-75—155
Kuriko Tsukiyama, West New York, N.J. - 77-78—155
Kaci McCartan, Plano, Texas - 78-78—156
Nicole Ferre, Weston, Fla. - 79-77—156
Hannah Wood, Centennial, Colo. - 80-76—156
Vivian Tsui, Canada - 77-79—156
Avery French, Laguna Niguel, Calif. - 77-79—156
Louise Yi, Cinnaminson, N.J. - 76-81—157
Regina Plasencia, Mexico - 79-78—157
Gabrielle Curtis, Eau Claire, Wis. - 77-80—157
Kelli Murphy, Elgin, S.C. - 82-75—157
Isabelle Lendl, Goshen, Conn. - 83-74—157
Danielle Lemek, Doniphan, Neb. - 79-78—157
Anna Zhou, Palo Alto, Calif. - 80-77—157
Liz Breed, Waynesboro, Pa. - 81-77—158
Ashley Burke, Boynton Beach, Fla. - 81-77—158
Jordan Britt, Chattanooga, Tenn. - 80-78—158
Lily Bartell, Hilton Head Island, S.C. - 81-78—159
Erin Misheff, Silver Lake, Ohio - 79-80—159
Erin Selfridge, Fleming Island, Fla. - 80-79—159
Lauren Greenlief, Oakton, Va. - 84-75—159
Anna Gleixner, Greenwood, Ind. - 79-80—159
Alessandra Kutz, Sanford, Fla. - 85-74—159
Hana Ku, Basking Ridge, N.J. - 80-80—160
Rosie Davies, England - 85-75—160
Ju Hee Bae, Chantilly, Va. - 81-79—160
Anne Marie Covar, Edgefield, S.C. - 80-80—160
Brittany Mai, Poway, Calif. - 82-78—160
Anna Grace Lavy, Fayetteville, Ark. - 85-75—160
Katy Funk, Spartanburg, S.C. - 84-76—160
Alleman Zech, Indian Wells, Calif. - 79-82—161
Haley Zagoria, Atlanta, Ga. - 80-82—162
Melissa Siviter, United Kingdom - 82-80—162
Christine Wong, Canada - 84-78—162
Kiersten Klekner-Alt, Canada - 82-81—163
Patricia Holt, Frisco, Texas - 84-79—163
Jane Fitzgerald, Kensington, Md. - 82-81—163
Melanie Chambers, Henderson, Nev. - 81-83—164
Christina Ocampo, Delray Beach, Fla. - 86-79—165
Mariana Sims, Austin, Texas - 85-80—165
Liz Waynick, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 87-79—166
Pairings
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Pairings and starting times for the first round of match play at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, being conducted at the 6,488-yard, par-71 Country Club of Charleston (All times EDT):
Upper Bracket
9:30 a.m. — Yumi Matsubara, Japan (135) vs. Bianca Maria Fabrizio, Italy (150)
9:40 a.m. — Lauren Diaz-Yi, Thousand Oaks, Calif. (146) vs. Desiree Dubreuil, Santa Ana, Calif. (146)
9:50 a.m. — Lori Beth Adams, Burlington, N.C. (144) vs. Clariss Guce, Philippines (147)
10 a.m. — Kendall Prince, Lake Oswego, Ore. (144) vs. Casey Danielson, Osceola, Wis. (147)
10:10 a.m. — Brooke Mackenzie Henderson, Canada (141) vs. Kacie Komoto, Honolulu, Hawaii (149)
10:20 a.m. — Erynne Lee, Silverdale, Wash. (145) vs. Doris Chen, Chinese Taipei (146)
10:30 a.m. — Kotone Hori, Japan (141) vs. Kelly Grassel, Chesterton, Ind. (149)
10:40 a.m. — Minjee Lee, Australia (145) vs. Elizabeth Nagel, Dewitt, Mich. (146)
10:50 a.m. — Yueer Cindy Feng, Orlando, Fla. (140) vs. Saki Iida, Gilbert, Ariz. (150)
11 a.m. — Ember Schuldt, Sterling, Ill. (145) vs. Emily Collins, Colleyville, Texas (146)
11:10 a.m. — Nicole Morales, South Salem, N.Y. (143) vs. Liv Cheng, New Zealand (148)
11:20 a.m. — Casie Cathrea, Livermore, Calif. (144) vs. Sophia Popov, Germany (147)
11:30 a.m. — Brittany Fan, Pearl City, Hawaii (141) vs. Monica Petchakan, Encino, Calif. (149)
11:40 a.m. — Annie Park, Levittown, N.Y. (145) vs. Lauren Stephenson, Lexington, S.C. (146)
11:50 a.m. — Kelly Shon, Port Washington, N.Y. (142) vs. Gabriela Lopez, Mexico (148)
12 p.m. — Carolin Pinegger, Austria (144) vs. Meghan Stasi, Oakland Park, Fla. (147)
Lower Bracket
12:10 p.m. — Allisen Corpuz, Honolulu, Hawaii (140) vs. Laura Wearn, Charlotte, N.C. (150)
12:20 p.m. — Katelyn Sepmoree, Tyler, Texas (146) vs. Kyung Kim, Chandler, Ariz. (146)
12:30 p.m. — Caroline Inglis, Eugene, Ore. (143) vs. Elizabeth Wang, San Marino, Calif. (147)
12:40 p.m. — Aurora Kan, Boothwyn, Pa. (144) vs. Gabriella Then, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (147)
12:50 p.m. — Alison Lee, Valencia, Calif. (141) vs. Dawn Woodard, Greer, S.C. (149)
1 p.m. — Mariel Galdiano, Pearl City, Hawaii (145) vs. Katelyn Dambaugh, Goose Creek, S.C. (146)
1:10 p.m. — Princess Superal, Philippines (142) vs. Alexandra Harkins, Crystal Lake, Ill. (149)
1:20 p.m. — Stephanie Meadow, Northern Ireland (145) vs. Leona Maguire, Republic of Ireland (146)
1:30 p.m. — Emma Talley, Princeton, Ky. (140) vs. Lydia Choi, Beverly Hills, Calif. (150)
1:40 p.m. — Christine Meier, Rochester Hills, Mich. (146) vs. Tatiana Wijaya, Indonesia (146)
1:50 p.m. — Cyna Marie Rodriguez, Philippines (143) vs. Maria Fassi, Mexico (148)
2 p.m. — Ally McDonald, Fulton, Miss. (144) vs. Allyssa Ferrell, Edgerton, Wis. (147)
2:10 p.m. — Emily Tubert, Burbank, Calif. (141) vs. Ashlan Ramsey, Milledgeville, Ga. (149)
2:20 p.m. — Cammie Gray, Northport, Ala. (145) vs. Simin Feng, People's Republic of China (146)
2:30 p.m. — Su-Hyun Oh, Australia (142) vs. Jessie Gerry, Madison, Wis. (149)
2:40 p.m. — Grace Na, Oakland, Calif. (145) vs. Megan Khang, Rockland, Mass. (146)