History was made Tuesday at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, and in more ways than one.
Not only did three players – Latanna Stone, Laney Frye and Alice Zhao – shoot 10 under in 36 holes of stroke play around Chambers Bay to set a new championship record, but one of those players, Zhao, became the event’s youngest medalist/co-medalist at 13 years and 6 months old.
“I just try to play my best,” said Zhao, who fired rounds of 67-69 on the par-73 layout, “and going into match play, I really like match play, so hopefully I can put together another couple good rounds.”
Speaking of history, however, it is not on Zhao’s side. Not since Amanda Blumenherst in 2008 has the stroke-play medalist/co-medalist gone on to win the title. In fact, since 2010 only two have advanced past the Round of 16 and none have made it to the semifinals.
Zhao is the second seed for match play, which begins Wednesday. She will face Camryn Carreon in the Round of 64.
Stone, the LSU senior who carded a course-record 65 on Tuesday, is the top seed and draws the 64th seed, which will be determined Wednesday morning as Victoria Zheng, Julia Misemer and Anika Dy were vying for the final match-play berth in what started as an 8-for-4 playoff before play was suspended for darkness.
Other notables advancing to match play include Stone’s fellow U.S. Curtis Cuppers Rachel Heck, Amari Avery, Rachel Kuehn, Megha Ganne and reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Jensen Castle. Aliea Clark, 26, was the only mid-amateur to make the cut.
Last month’s U.S. Girls’ Junior winner, Yana Wilson, was among those who missed the cut along with Emilia Migliaccio, Ellen Port and Meghan Schofill.
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