Top 10 female amateurs: No. 6 Austin Ernst
The amateur season roared in with talk of the Curtis Cup in Scotland, and died down with the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey, which made patriotism a big part of 2012. But in terms of women’s amateur golf, 2012 also was the year of the Kiwi (read: Lydia Ko) and the last summer of the Jutanugarn sisters.
Golfweek will spend 10 days counting down the top amateur players of the past year. Who will be No. 1? Who else will make the list? Check back each day. Find the entire series here.
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No. 6: Austin Ernst
R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking: N/A
2012 in review: Won North & South Women’s Amateur; U.S. Curtis Cup team; Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, U.S. team (T-66)
Ernst was arguably the biggest surprise player to turn professional in 2012. The 20-year-old LSU superstar announced plans early in the summer to try her hand at Q-School rather than return for her remaining two seasons with the Tigers.
Prior to that announcement, Ernst traveled to Scotland with seven fellow U.S. college players. She and Alabama’s Brooke Pancake made a spunky duo that drew a crowd.
One of the ...
Top 10 female amateurs: No. 7 Lisa McCloskey
The amateur season roared in with talk of the Curtis Cup in Scotland, and died down with the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey, which made patriotism a big part of 2012. But in terms of women’s amateur golf, 2012 also was the year of the Kiwi (read: Lydia Ko) and the last summer of the Jutanugarn sisters.
Golfweek will spend 10 days counting down the top amateur players of the past year. Who will be No. 1? Who else will make the list? Check back each day. Find the entire series here.
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No. 7: Lisa McCloskey
R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking: N/A
2012 in review: U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links stroke-play medalist; U.S. Curtis Cup team member (2 points); U.S. Women’s World Amateur team member (T-4); advanced to third round of U.S. Women’s Amateur; NCAA Central Regional co-medalist
McCloskey rang in her last summer as an amateur with a trip to Scotland for the Curtis Cup. Barely two weeks removed from leading USC to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship, McCloskey was the player at Nairn Golf Club during Curtis Cup week who exuded confidence ...
Top 10 female amateurs: No. 8 Lindy Duncan
The amateur season roared in with talk of the Curtis Cup in Scotland, and died down with the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey, which made patriotism a big part of 2012. But in terms of women’s amateur golf, 2012 also was the year of the Kiwi (read: Lydia Ko) and the last summer of the Jutanugarn sisters.
Golfweek will spend 10 days counting down the top amateur players of the past year. Who will be No. 1? Who else will make the list? Check back each day. Find the entire series here.
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No. 8: Lindy Duncan
R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking: 11
2012 in review: College Player of the Year; three collegiate titles; U.S. Curtis Cup team member (1 point); named to U.S. Copa de las Americas team
Duncan will go down as one of the best players in Duke’s rich women’s golf history after finishing her junior season (2011-12) with four collegiate victories and a scoring average, 71.07, which is second only to current LPGA player Amanda Blumenherst. It was for those efforts that Duncan won College Player of the Year honors in the spring.
A quiet player ...
Top 10 female amateurs: No. 9 Jaye Marie Green
The amateur season roared in with talk of the Curtis Cup in Scotland, and died down with the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey, which made patriotism a big part of 2012. But in terms of women’s amateur golf, 2012 also was the year of the Kiwi (read: Lydia Ko) and the last summer of the Jutanugarn sisters.
Golfweek will spend 10 days counting down the top amateur players of the past year. Who will be No. 1? Who else will make the list? Check back each day. Find the entire series here.
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No. 9: Jaye Marie Green
R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking: 6
2012 in review: Runner-up at U.S. Women’s Am; quarterfinalist at the North & South Women’s Amateur; runner-up at the Ione D. Jones/Doherty Women’s Amateur; qualified for U.S Women’s Open; made the cut at the Kraft Nabisco Championship; won AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions
The South Florida native generally makes early-year headlines on the Florida Orange Blossom Circuit, and began 2012 with a fifth-place finish at the South Atlantic Amateur, where she was attempting to defend her 2011 title. If the U.S. Golf Association had broken its all-college theme ...
Top 10 female amateurs: No. 10 Bronte Law
The amateur season roared in with talk of the Curtis Cup in Scotland, and died down with the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey, which made patriotism a big part of 2012. But in terms of women’s amateur golf, 2012 also was the year of the Kiwi (read: Lydia Ko) and the last summer of the Jutanugarn sisters.
Golfweek will spend 10 days counting down the top amateur players of the past year. Who will be No. 1? Who else will make the list? Check back each day. Find the entire series here.
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No. 10: Bronte Law
R&A’s World Amateur Golf Ranking: 7
2012 in review: Ladies British Open Amateur stroke play, 6th; GB&I Curtis Cup team member (1 1/2 points); advanced to second round at U.S. Women’s Amateur; made cut at Ricoh Women’s British Open
Each summer, there’s a player who draws a trail of college coaches at least half a par 4 long. That’s what this Englishwoman’s gallery looked like around the shady fairways of the Country Club in Cleveland during the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Law was T-37 in stroke play that week, and advanced to the second round of match play ...
Squire Creek to host 2015 U.S. Women ...
The U.S. Golf Association has announced Squire Creek Golf Club in Choudrant, La., as the host of the 2015 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. It will be Squire Creek’s debut as a USGA championship venue.
Squire Creek, a Tom Fazio design, opened in 2002 and hosted U.S. Open local qualifying in 2008 and ’09. The club has twice hosted the Louisiana Mid-Amateur and will be the site of the 2013 Louisiana Women’s State Amateur. Squire Creek is the home course for the Louisiana Tech University men’s golf team.
“The USGA is delighted to bring the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship to Squire Creek Country Club and pleased to return to the state of Louisiana for the first time since 1966,” said Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “We are confident the club will stage a successful national amateur championship and the course will test the players’ skills.”
The 2015 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur will be played Oct. 3-8.
The 2013 championship will be conducted at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, N.C., from Oct. 5-10. In 2014, the championship will be played at Harbour Trees Golf ...
2016 US Women's Amateur headed to Rolling Green GC
FAR HILLS, N.J. – The U.S. Golf Association says the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship will be held at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa., outside Philadelphia.
The William Flynn design will be hosting its second USGA championship. The club was the site of the 1976 U.S. Women's Open. In that championship, JoAnne Carner beat defending champ Sandra Palmer by two strokes in an 18-hole playoff. It was Carner's second Open title and eighth USGA crown, the most by a female.
The course, opened in 1926, will be celebrating its 90th anniversary during the year of the Women's Amateur.
The 2013 Women's Amateur will be held in August at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina. In 2014, the championship is headed to Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, N.Y. The 2015 site has not been announced.
USGA names 4-player Copa de las Americas squad
The U.S. Golf Association as announced the four-player team that will represent the United States in January at the Copa de las Americas. The co-ed team will include Lindy Duncan, Erynne Lee, Chris Williams and Steven Fox.
Williams and Fox were members of the U.S. team that recently won the World Amateur Team Championship in Antalya, Turkey. Williams, a senior at Washington, won the Mark H. McCormack Medal, awarded to the No. 1 player in the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking. Fox is the reigning U.S. Amateur champion and a senior at Chattanooga.
Duncan, a senior at Duke, was a member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team. She was last year’s college Player of the Year. Lee, a sophomore at UCLA, represented the U.S. earlier this fall at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship.
The Copa de las Americas is an amateur team competition for countries in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. There are three 72-hole competitions – men’s, women’s and overall – with 18 holes played on each of the four days. Jim Williams of Orinda, Calif., will captain the Americans. He is a member of the ...
Jutanugarns have dominated, but now must go their own ways
From behind the zoom lens of a hefty Canon camera, Ariya Jutanugarn’s laughter rings out. On a cool afternoon in Cleveland, not even an hour removed from breezing into match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, Jutanugarn has reversed this photo shoot.
Playing around the shady, foliage-protected swimming pool at The Country Club, Jutanugarn expertly handles the photographer’s gear – she has her own Instagram account, you know – relinquishing the camera only to ham it up in the spotlight. Older sister Moriya joins. Soon, they’re trying to shove each other’s heads into the water and splashing while fully clothed. Then they return to their iPhones.
Sure, this day has been a grind, and though many a competitive round ends on a putting green or practice range at sunset, these Thai sisters truly love golf.
They will be good at this, good in front of the spotlight. Just a year ago, Ariya, 16, still leaned heavily on Moriya, 18, as much for her caddie services as for translation.
These days, Ariya sometimes repeats a word slowly and interrupts with, “What does that mean?” before digging deep to answer the question thoroughly. Most interviews end with this ...
With fourth Women's Mid-Am title, Stasi joins elite company
With her fourth career victory at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur on Oct. 11, Meghan Stasi joined Ellen Port as the only four-time champions of the event.
Stasi, 34, of Oakland Park, Fla., defeated Liz Waynick, 6 and 5, at Briggs Ranch Golf Club in San Antonio to claim the honor. Stasi also won Women’s Mid-Am titles in 2006, ’07 and ’10. She is the 16th golfer in history to win the same USGA championship at least four times.
Nathan Smith also joined that category last month after winning his fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur.
“Never in my life did I think I would be here right now,” said Stasi. “So I’m so appreciative to everybody… It’s a very long week for all involved, and you really just have to stay mentally and physically prepared. A few matches were very grueling, but I just stayed on top of my game and hoped for the best.”
Stasi, a member of the victorious U.S. Curtis Cup team in 2008, won five consecutive holes to close out her match against Waynick. Stasi’s 6-and-5 margin of victory matched the largest for a Women’s Mid-Amateur final.
Stasi had a ...
Mexico to host 2016 World Amateur Team Championship
ANTALYA, Turkey – Mexico will host the 2016 World Amateur Team Championships, Golfweek has learned.
Mexico was awarded the biennial championship ahead of Colombia after a vote by International Golf Federation delegates at a meeting Oct. 2 here, site of this year's men's and women's WATC. The 2014 event will be in Japan.
Mexico and Colombia are long-standing members of the IGF. Delegates from both countries were among the 35 nations with representatives at a meeting in Washington in May 1958 arranged by the U.S. Golf Association and R&A to create the World Amateur Team Championships. Both countries were part of the original 32-member organization that made up the World Amateur Golf Council, the forerunner to the International Golf Federation.
Though Colombia has never hosted the World Amateur Team Championships, Mexico hosted the tournament in 1968. That event, the sixth staging, was held at Mexico Golf Club in Mexico City. A United States team of Bruce Fleisher, Vinny Giles, Jack Lewis Jr. and Dick Siderowf captained by former USGA president William C. Campbell took the title by a shot over Great Britain & Ireland, with Canada finishing third.
Mexico has not won the WATC. However, the men ...
Korea wins team title, Ko is medalist at Women's World Amateur
ANTALYA, Turkey – The final round of the World Amateur Team Championship confirmed two things: Lydia Ko is without doubt the undisputed world’s No. 1 amateur, and the strength of Korean golf shows no sign of abating.
The Republic of Korea won the team championship to become the first team to successfully defend the title since the United States in 1988 and 1990. Ko returned a closing 4-under 68 for a 72-hole total of 274. She won the individual crown by six shots over Finland’s Krista Bakker and Camilla Hedberg of Spain.
Both wins were fairly comfortable, and expected.
The Korean trio of Hyo-Joo Kim, Kyu-Jung Baek and Min-Sun Kim combined for a 13-under total of 563 to win by three shots over Germany. Finland and Australia tied for third place on 567, four shots behind. Ko’s New Zealand team finished T-5 alongside Spain. Canada placed seventh on 569, while the USA was a further shot back in eighth.
Korea took a five-shot lead into the final round and never really looked threatened despite splendid 7-under finishes from Germany and Finland. Baek led the line with a 2-under 70, Hyo-Joo Kim posted a level-par 72, while Min-Sun Kim ...
Republic of Korea, Ko lead at World Amateur Team Championship
ANTALYA, Turkey – Normally five- and two-shot leads would be causes for celebration. It’s just the opposite after the third round of the Women's World Amateur Team Championship.
The Republic of Korea holds a five-shot advantage over New Zealand and a six-shot edge over third-place Canada and Australia, with the U.S. and Spain in joint fifth, seven shots back. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Lydia Ko leads the individual competition by two shots over U.S. Curtis Cup player Lisa McCloskey.
The advantage should be more in both cases.
The Korean trio of Hyo Joo Kim, Kyu-Jung Baek and Min Sun Kim sit at 11-under 206 with a round to play. However, Korean captain Hyung-Mo Kang wasn’t a happy man when his team came off the golf course.
“I hope they will do better tomorrow than that,” Kang said of his team’s third-round performance. “Today was not that satisfactory. All the girls missed a lot of putts out there.”
Korea won the World Amateur Team Championship two years ago in Buenos Aires, and should be a safe bet to become the first team to lift the Espirito Santo Trophy for the second consecutive time since the U ...
Port wins Senior Women's Am for fifth career USGA title
HERSHEY, Pa. — Ellen Port won the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur on Thursday, beating Jane Fitzgerald, 4 and 3, on Hershey Country Club’s West Course.
The 50-year-old Port, from St. Louis, won her fifth career USGA women’s title.
“It’s an honor to be another USGA champion,” said Port, who won her fourth U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur title last September. “I have a medal and a flag in the same (calendar) year that I won the Mid-Am. I am so shocked and ecstatic.”
Port overcame a one-hole deficit, winning five consecutive holes on the back nine.
The 50-year-old Fitzgerald, from Kensington, Md., is a former Penn State player.
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ROUND OF 64
Lisa Schlesinger def. Teresa Cleland, 5 and 4
Mary Jane Hiestand def. Peggy Brady, 1 up
Anna Schultz def. Courtney Myhrum, 1 up
Corey Weworski def. Carol S. Thompson, 19 holes
Brenda Pictor def. Cheryl Brayman, 3 and 1
Mina Hardin def. Connie Shorb, 3 and 2
Noreen Mohler def. Colette Rosenberg, 5 and 3
Laura Algiero def. Pamela Kuong, 1 up
Martha Leach def. Susan Stewart, 2 and 1
Marianne Towersey def. Bobbi Lancaster, 5 and 4
Marilyn Hardy def. Jamie Hoffmann, 1 up
Joan ...
Port, Fitzgerald to meet in Senior Women's Am final
HERSHEY, Pa. – Ellen Port and Jane Fitzgerald advanced to the championship match Wednesday in the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur at Hershey Country Club.
Port, of St. Louis, rallied to beat Carolyn Creekmore of Dallas, 1 up, in the morning quarterfinals, and routed Lecia Alexander of Stafford, Texas, 6 and 4, in the semifinals.
Port, 50, a four-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, finished off Creekmore by hitting her approach to 6 inches to set up a birdie on the final hole.
“Every match has its own character,” Port said. “I stayed in the moment. I didn’t have a lot of feel around the greens. I had some uncharacteristic shots for me with wedges in my hand. I tried not to get frustrated with myself, and I did a pretty good job of that. I let the bad shots go and knew that I had some good ones in me.”
Fitzgerald, of Kensington, Md., topped Joan Higgins of Glendora, Calif., 2 up, in the quarterfinals, and beat qualifying medalist Lisa Schlesinger of Laytonsville, Md., 4 and 3, in the semifinals.
“This makes me feel great,” said Fitzgerald, 50, a graduate of nearby Penn State. “I’ve been playing ...
Recent Women’s Amateur Golf Galleries
U.S. Women's Amateur: Championship
Take a look at images of the final match between Lydia Ko and Jaye Marie Green at the U.S. Women's Amateur in Cleveland.
U.S. Women's Amateur: Semifinals
After a drizzly Saturday morning at the Country Club, only two players are left at the U.S. Women's Amateur. Lydia Ko defeated Ariya Jutanugarn while Jaye Marie Green defeated Nicole Zhang in the semifinals.
U.S. Women's Amateur: Rounds of 32 & 16
View images of a rainy day of match play with Rounds of 32 and 16 at The Country Club of Cleveland.
2012 U.S. Women's Amateur: Round of 64
Check out images from the first round of match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur in Cleveland.
2012 U.S. Women's Amateur: Day 2
A look at the action from Day 2 of the 2012 U.S. Women's Amateur in Cleveland, Ohio.
2012 U.S. Women's Amateur: Day 1
View images of Round 1 stroke play where Lydia Ko shot a 66 to take the lead at The Country Club in Cleveland, Ohio.
2012 Curtis Cup: Practice Round
Check out images from the practice round at the 2012 Curtis Cup in Nairn, Scotland.
86th Annual South Atlantic Amateur: Final round
Check out images from our Tracy Wilcox at Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach, Fla.
57th Harder Hall Women's Invitational
View images of the final round of the 57th Harder Hall Women's Invitational at Harder Hall Country Club in Sebring, Fla.
2011 in review: Amateur golf
From the dramatic Walker Cup to Patrick Cantlay's success on the PGA Tour to Kelly Kraft's big win at the U.S. Amateur, the year that was in amateur golf.
2011 U.S. Women's Amateur: Championship
Check out images of the match between Moriya Jutanugarn and Danielle Kang.
2011 U.S. Women's Amateur: Semifinals
Take a look at the semifinal matches at Rhode Island Country Club.
2011 U. S. Women's Amateur Quarterfinals
View images from Friday's Quarterfinals at Rhode Island Country Club.
2011 U. S. Women's Amateur Rds. of 32 & 16
View images from Thursday's action of Rounds of 32 and 16 at Rhode Island Country Club.
2011 U.S. Women's Amateur: Round of 64
Check out images from the first round of match play at Rhode Island Country Club.
2011 U.S. Women's Amateur: Round 2
A look at the scene at Rhode Island Country Club.
2011 U.S. Women's Amateur: Round 1
Check out images from Rhode Island Country Club.
A unique look at the U. S. Women's Amateur
A look at some images through the iPhone App Instagram from the 111th U. S. Women's Amateur Championship in Barrington, Rhode Island.
Women's Western Amateur Championship
Photos from the Women's Western Amateur, played June 20-25 at Sawgrass Country Club.
The Sally: Final Round
Images from the final round of The Sally, played Jan. 15 at Oceanside Country Club.
Harder Hall Women's Invitational (Rd. 3)
The third round of the 56th Harder Hall Women's Invitational began with a shotgun start for the after Thursday's rain delay.
56th Annual Harder Hall Invitational
View images from the first round of the 56th Annual Harder Hall Invitational in Sebring, Fla.
U.S. Women’s Amateur (Finals)
Danielle Kang defeated Jessica Korda, 2 and 1, to win the U.S. Women's Amateur at Charlotte Country Club.
U.S. Women’s Amateur (Semifinals)
Danielle Kang, 17, and Jessica Korda, 17, will face each other in the final round of the 110th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
U.S. Women’s Amateur (Quarterfinals)
Jennifer Kirby, Danielle Kang, Jessica Korda and Stephanie Sherlock each advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, set for Saturday at Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club.
U.S. Women’s Amateur (Rds. of 32/16)
Matches went long and players attempted to keep cool during Thursday’s rounds of 32 and 16 at Charlotte Country Club.
U.S. Women’s Amateur (Round of 64)
The three co-medalists have moved on to the Round of 32 at the U.S. Women's Amateur.
U.S. Women’s Amateur (Round 2)
Sixty-four players advanced to match play Tuesday at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
U.S. Women’s Amateur (Round 1)
Players tried to stay cool Monday at steamy Charlotte Country Club.
Curtis Cup: Sunday at Essex County Club
Team USA completed a dominating performance June 13 to win the Curtis Cup.
Curtis Cup: Saturday at Essex County Club
Team USA took a five-point lead during Day 2 of the Curtis Cup, winning all six matches at Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.
Curtis Cup: Friday at Essex County Club
GB&I took a one-point lead over USA after Friday's matches at Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.
South Atlantic Amateur (Final Round)
Jessica Korda won the 84th annual South Atlantic Amateur (Sally) by four shots over Candace Schepperle at Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach, Fla.
U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur
Martha Leach defeated Laura Coble, 3 and 2, on Oct. 8 to win the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club in Ocala, Fla.
Women’s Amateur (Finals)
Jennifer Song collected her second USGA win this summer with a victory over Jennifer Johnson at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
Women's Amateur (Semifinals)
Alexis Thompson’s bid to become the youngest winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur was dashed Saturday at Old Warson.
