Monday, July 18, 2022

Zaretsky’s 68 Leads After Round 1 in 73rd U.S. Girl's Junior Championship

On an ideal day for scoring, Lauren Zaretsky, 18, of Canada, posted a 5-under-par 68 on Monday for a one-stroke lead after the first round of stroke play in the 73rd U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship being contested at The Club at Olde Stone.

Yana Wilson, 15, of Henderson, Nev., a two-time Drive, Chip & Putt age-group champion who reached the quarterfinals last year, Hsin Tai Lin, 16, of Chinese Taipei, Justice Bosio, 18, of Australia and Farah O’Keefe, 17, of Austin, Texas, were in the group at 4-under 69 on the 6,484-yard, par-73 Arthur Hills design that opened in 2006.

Overnight storms that continued into early Monday dropped nearly an inch of rain that slightly softened the conditions, especially on the greens, and the winds were calm.

Zaretsky, an incoming freshman at Texas Tech University who won the 2021 Canadian Women’s Amateur to become fully exempt for this championship, was buoyed by an eagle-3 on the par-5 11th and consecutive birdies on 17 and 18 to close out the round. The powerfully built Thornhill, Ontario, resident laced a 5-iron from 206 yards to 8 feet on the 505-yard 11th. Despite a three-putt bogey on 14 and another bogey on 16, she rebounded nicely with a 10-foot birdie on 17 and a 2-footer on the par-5 18th.

“I know I can shoot low,” said Zaretsky. “My biggest advantage is my driver. I’m pretty confident with it. The longer-hitter part of me has an advantage on this course, especially if you put it in play and your putting gets going, it’s possible to go low.”

Wilson, who earlier this year edged Anna Davis by holing out a 75-yard wedge shot on the first playoff hole to win the Annika Invitational in Orlando, Fla., missed an 8-footer for birdie on the par-5 18th that would have put her in a tie with Zaretsky. That came after she converted birdie attempts from 30 and 40 feet, respectively, on Nos. 15 and 17.

“I was just trying to stay as consistent as possible,” said Wilson, who was ousted by eventual champion and world No. 1 Rose Zhang in the quarterfinals last year. “That was my main focus today.”

O’Keefe, competing in her first USGA championship and second major competition outside of her native Texas, got off to an inauspicious start with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 1 and 2 before settling down to play 6-under-par golf over the final 16 holes, including a 45-foot birdie on the par-3 16th.

She credited caddie Jeff Young, an Olde Stone member, for calming her down.

“Both of those bogeys shouldn’t have been on the card,” said O’Keefe, a rising high school senior who plans to sign with the University of Texas in November. “They were just nervous holes. I worked my way into the tournament already, so just go out with the same energy [for Round 2] tomorrow.”

Bosio, fresh off of a quarterfinal showing in last week’s North & South Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in North Carolina, was the last player to register on Sunday and only got in one practice round. It didn’t seem to matter as she posted six birdies against two bogeys.

Bosio is looking to become the second Australian to win this championship after Minjee Lee in 2012. Lee also captured the U.S. Women’s Open last month at Pine Needles.

Lin had the only bogey-free round on Monday with birdies on 7, 10, 16 and 18.

Six players are two strokes back after carding 70s: Saki Baba, 17, of Japan, 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur quarterfinalist Karen Tsuru, 17, of Carlsbad, Calif., Trinity Beth, 15, of Calvert City, Ky., Anna Song, 15, of Los Angeles, Calif., Claire Henson, 17, of Jackson, Tenn., and Korean-born Ashley Kim, 17, of La Mirada, Calif. Baba tied for 49th in last month’s U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles and Beth, a two-time Miss Kentucky for golf, is one of three players representing the Commonwealth.

What’s Next

The second and final round of stroke play will be contested on Tuesday after which the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers for match play, which begins on Wednesday. Should a playoff be necessary to fill the final spots in the draw, it will take place on Wednesday at 7 a.m. CDT, starting on hole 10 and then continuing, if necessary, to Nos. 13, 14 and 18. Admission is free, and spectators are encouraged to attend.

Notable

Megha Ganne, at No. 16 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®, the highest-ranked player in the U.S. Girls’ Junior field, was disqualified when she signed for an incorrect score. “The player unknowingly signed her scorecard for a lower score, and under Rule 3.3b (3) was disqualified,” the USGA said in a statement. “She came to us shortly after realizing her mistake." The New Jersey native arrived in Kentucky fresh off helping the USA retain the Curtis Cup at Merion Golf Club. The incoming Stanford freshman also was the low amateur in the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open. This was her fourth and final U.S. Girls’ Junior. She will compete in the U.S. Women’s Amateur next month at Chambers Bay.

Reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion Nick Dunlap is not the only USGA champion serving as a caddie this week (Kynadie Adams). Meredith Duncan, who won the 2001 U.S. Women’s Amateur, is on the bag for fellow Shreveport, La., native Sydney Moss (3-over 76). Duncan’s 37-hole win over 2001 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Nicole Perrot, of Chile, was arguably one of the best finals in championship history with the two players combining for 20 birdies.

More than 80 women’s college coaches and assistants are on property this week looking to discover the next great talent. Among that group are several past USA Curtis Cup players Tiffany Joh (USC assistant), Bethany Wu (Florida assistant), Emily Glaser (Florida head coach), Annie Young (Tulsa head coach), Jo Jo Robertson (Texas Tech head coach) and Monica Vaughn (Oregon assistant). Joh (2006 and 2008) and Robertson (1995 and 1997) are two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champions, while Young won that title in 2002.

Therese Hession, who spent 30 years at The Ohio State University as the head women’s golf coach and director of golf for both the men’s and women’s teams before retiring in January, is caddieing for incoming Ohio State freshman Kary Hollenbaugh. Hession led the Buckeyes to 11 Big 10 women’s titles and 17 NCAA appearances.

Georgia teens Thienna Huynh and Sara Im, who won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in April, carded 75 and 73, respectively. They are the only USGA champions in the field. The runners-up from that championship, Bailey Shoemaker and Kaitlyn Schroeder, carded rounds of 74 and 72, respectively. Shoemaker tied for 49th in last month’s U.S. Women’s Open.

Quotable

“Same goal as today. Just par golf. It’s a difficult course. It’s a lot of strategy. Just be confident over the ball and slow down a little bit. I’m kind of a faster-pace player. Just slow down and commit to every shot and do what I did today.” – Lauren Zaretsky on her mindset for Tuesday’s final round of stroke play

“Today, I feel like I just played some chill golf, just really relaxed. I did that really well today and I feel like I can do that [on Tuesday] as well.” – Yana Wilson

“The rough was pretty bad. I didn’t do a good job of [hitting fairways] on the front nine. But I finally figured it out.” – Farah O’Keefe

“That’s pretty special. It’s not something many people get to do, especially in this big of an event. I was glad to hit the fairway and get off to a good start.” – Kynadie Adams (1-over 74), a member of The Club at Olde Stone who had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot of the championship

Results from Monday's first round of stroke play at the 2022 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, played at 6,485-yard, par-73 The Club at Olde Stone.

1  Lauren Zaretsky, Canada - 34-34--68

T2  Farah O'Keefe, Austin, Texas - 37-32--69

T2  Hsin Tai Lin, Chinese Taipei - 36-33--69

T2  Justice Bosio, Australia - 36-33--69

T2  Yana Wilson, Henderson, Nev. - 34-35--69

T6  Anna Song, Los Angeles, Calif. - 36-34--70

T6  Ashley Kim, La Mirada, Calif. - 34-36--70

T6  Claire Henson, Jackson, Tenn. - 37-33--70

T6  Karen Tsuru, Carlsbad, Calif. - 36-34--70

T6  Saki Baba, Japan - 37-33--70

T6  Trinity Beth, Calvert City, Ky. - 36-34--70

T12  Alexia Siehl, Fort Mill, S.C. - 34-37--71

T12  Gianna Clemente, Estero, Fla. - 33-38--71

T12  Lynn Lim, Gallatin, Tenn. - 36-35--71

T12  Megan Meng, Pennington, N.J. - 38-33--71

T12  Natalie Vo, San Jose, Calif. - 35-36--71

T12  Nika Ito, Japan - 34-37--71

T12  Olivia Duan, Cupertino, Calif. - 35-36--71

T19  Angelina Tolentino, Mount Laurel, N.J. - 36-36--72

T19  Camila Burnett, Bluffton, S.C. - 36-36--72

T19  Catherine Park, Irvine, Calif. - 37-35--72

T19  Fiona Xu, New Zealand - 35-37--72

T19  Grace Kilcrease, Springdale, Ark. - 35-37--72

T19  Jennifer Seo, Chandler, Ariz. - 37-35--72

T19  Kaitlyn Schroeder, Jacksonville, Fla. - 36-36--72

T19  Katie Li, Basking Ridge, N.J. - 35-37--72

T19  Maya Beasley, Pinehurst, N.C. - 35-37--72

T19  Molly Brown Davidson, Birmingham, Ala. - 37-35--72

T19  Samantha Olson, Phoenix, Ariz. - 37-35--72

T19  Yunxuan (Michelle) Zhang, People's Republic of China - 38-34--72

T31  Chun Wei Wu, Chinese Taipei - 38-35--73

T31  Hsin Chun Liao, Chinese Taipei - 37-36--73

T31  Jessica Guiser, Hartland, Wis. - 33-40--73

T31  Kaila Elsayegh, Pacific Palisades, Calif. - 37-36--73

T31  Kelli Ann Strand, Challis, Idaho - 37-36--73

T31  Kennedy Swedick, Albany, N.Y. - 38-35--73

T31  Michelle Liu, Canada - 35-38--73

T31  Nikki Oh, Torrance, Calif. - 34-39--73

T31  Sara Im, Duluth, Ga. - 35-38--73

T40  Adrian Anderson, Murrells Inlet, S.C. - 37-37--74

T40  Ava Cepeda, Hauula, Hawaii - 38-36--74

T40  Bailey Shoemaker, Dade City, Fla. - 37-37--74

T40  Brynn Kort, Henderson, Nev. - 35-39--74

T40  Cara Heisterkamp, Westlake, Ohio - 35-39--74

T40  Ellen Yu, Greensboro, N.C. - 38-36--74

T40  Emily Mathews, Mebane, N.C. - 38-36--74

T40  Kara Kaneshiro, Honolulu, Hawaii - 35-39--74

T40  Kynadie Adams, Nashville, Tenn. - 36-38--74

T40  Mackenzie Lee, North Little Rock, Ark. - 36-38--74

T40  Maria Jose Marin, Colombia - 36-38--74

T40  Mia Hammond, New Albany, Ohio - 37-37--74

T40  Morgan Ketchum, Winston Salem, N.C. - 36-38--74

T40  Reagan Southerland, Atlanta, Ga. - 40-34--74

T40  Reese McCauley, Inver Grove Heights, Minn. - 36-38--74

T40  Sammie Dolce, Florham Park, N.J. - 36-38--74

T40  Ting-Hsuan (Tiffany) Huang, Chinese Taipei - 36-38--74

T40  Vanessa Zhang, Canada - 36-38--74

T58  Amelie Zalsman, Redlands, Calif. - 38-37--75

T58  Anika Varma, India - 37-38--75

T58  Cailyn Rogers, Lexington, Ky. - 37-38--75

T58  Charissa Shang, Calabasas, Calif. - 37-38--75

T58  Elizabeth Eberle, Richmond, Ky. - 40-35--75

T58  Ella Weber, Canada - 39-36--75

T58  Emily Luo, Danville, Calif. - 40-35--75

T58  Katie Cranston, Canada - 34-41--75

T58  Kiara Romero, San Jose, Calif. - 34-41--75

T58  Kodi Nolen, Midlothian, Texas - 40-35--75

T58  Kristina Xu, Claremont, Calif. - 36-39--75

T58  Kylee Choi, Murrieta, Calif. - 38-37--75

T58  Kylie Chong, Torrance, Calif. - 39-36--75

T58  Kyra Ly, Portland, Ore. - 38-37--75

T58  Lucy Yuan, San Diego, Calif. - 40-35--75

T58  Maria Garcia, Mexico - 38-37--75

T58  Nicole Gal, Canada - 38-37--75

T58  Petra Yee, Sacramento, Calif. - 36-39--75

T58  Rayee Feng, Short Hills, N.J. - 38-37--75

T58  Samantha Dizon, Philippines - 37-38--75

T58  Sarah Shao, Green Brook, N.J. - 39-36--75

T58  Sydney Hackett, Ashburn, Va. - 38-37--75

T58  Thienna Huynh, Lilburn, Ga. - 38-37--75

T81  Asterisk Talley, Chowchilla, Calif. - 39-37--76

T81  Camryn Coffield, Hamilton, Ga. - 37-39--76

T81  Christine Chang, Auburn, Ala. - 37-39--76

T81  Derica Chiu, Oak Park, Calif. - 38-38--76

T81  Dianna Lee, San Diego, Calif. - 37-39--76

T81  Isabella McCauley, Inver Grove Heights, Minn. - 38-38--76

T81  Jenni Roller, Jenks, Okla. - 40-36--76

T81  Jude Lee, Walnut, Calif. - 37-39--76

T81  Kary Hollenbaugh, New Albany, Ohio - 39-37--76

T81  Lilly DeNunzio, Henderson, Nev. - 36-40--76

T81  Macie Elzinga, Byron Center, Mich. - 37-39--76

T81  Macy Pate, Winston Salem, N.C. - 40-36--76

T81  Claire Chen, Fremont, Calif. - 36-40--76

T81  Sydney Moss, Shreveport, La. - 38-38--76

T95  Alexandra Gazzoli, Palm Coast, Fla. - 39-38--77

T95  Audrey Brust, Reno, Nev. - 39-38--77

T95  Ella Kozak, Canada - 39-38--77

T95  Faith Johnson, Evansville, Ind. - 38-39--77

T95  Jordan Fischer, Germany - 39-38--77

T95  Larissa Carrillo, Mexico - 38-39--77

T95  Layla Pedrique, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. - 41-36--77

T95  Lisa Copeland, Naperville, Ill. - 39-38--77

T95  Madeline Bante, Englewood, Colo. - 38-39--77

T95  Morgan Smith, Westford, Mass. - 39-38--77

T95  Nicole Kato, Redmond, Wash. - 38-39--77

T95  Simone Senk, Fort Wayne, Ind. - 41-36--77

T95  Siuue Wu, Hong Kong China - 42-35--77

T95  Tsubasa Kajitani, Japan - 38-39--77

T109  Alessandra Nagayo, Canada - 39-39--78

T109  Ali Mulhall, Henderson, Nev. - 39-39--78

T109  Anna Ritter, New Albany, Ohio - 41-37--78

T109  Consuela Guo, New Zealand - 39-39--78

T109  Jaymie Ng, Singapore - 37-41--78

T109  Kate Brody, Grand Blanc, Mich. - 39-39--78

T109  Maria Atwood, Holly Springs, N.C. - 40-38--78

T109  Melanie Walker, Burke, Va. - 38-40--78

T109  Mi Li, People's Republic of China - 39-39--78

T109  Rylee Salome, Tome, N.M. - 36-42--78

T109  Shannyn Vogler, Moline, Ill. - 40-38--78

T109  Valentina Zuleta, Colombia - 40-38--78

T109  Valeria Ramirez, Colombia - 38-40--78

T109  Veronika Exposito, The Woodlands, Texas - 40-38--78

T123  Angela Nip, Hong Kong China - 40-39--79

T123  Avery Zweig, McKinney, Texas - 40-39--79

T123  Charlene Chung, Hong Kong China - 41-38--79

T123  Jacqueline Putrino, Lakewood Ranch, Fla. - 38-41--79

T123  Karoline Tuttle, Lake Mary, Fla. - 39-40--79

T123  Lindsay McGrath, Canada - 42-37--79

T123  Sophia Li, New York, N.Y. - 40-39--79

T123  Sydney Givens, Austin, Texas - 40-39--79

T123  Victoria Zheng, Canada - 42-37--79

T132  Bridget Ma, Orlando, Fla. - 42-38--80

T132  Hadley Ashton, Erie, Colo. - 39-41--80

T132  Karina Jadhav, Irvine, Calif. - 40-40--80

T132  Molly Hardwick, Nashville, Tenn. - 39-41--80

T132  Sophie Stevens, Highland, Mich. - 39-41--80

T132  Tillie Claggett, Canada - 40-40--80

T132  Yun Kiu Tiffany Chan, Hong Kong China - 42-38--80

T139  Emerson Blair, West Point, Miss. - 45-36--81

T139  Honorine Nobuta-Ferry, West Palm Beach, Fla. - 43-38--81

T139  Isabella Saenz, San Antonio, Texas - 40-41--81

T139  Nicole Iniakov, Prunedale, Calif. - 40-41--81

T139  Riley Lewis, Edwardsville, Ill. - 42-39--81

T139  Taylor Kehoe, Canada - 40-41--81

T145  Dani Grace Schrock, Pontiac, Ill. - 42-40--82

T145  Maria Jose Barragan, Mexico - 39-43--82

T147  Diane Guercio, Frisco, Texas - 41-42--83

T147  Emma Thompson, McKinney, Texas - 40-43--83

T147  Sydney Deal, Perrysburg, Ohio - 42-41--83

T147  Taylor Mularski, Spokane, Wash. - 41-42--83

T151  Addison Klonowski, Naples, Fla. - 42-42--84

T151  Amber Li, Bellevue, Wash. - 42-42--84

T151  Mia Cepeda, Hauula, Hawaii - 45-39--84

154  Brooke Frerichs, Canada - 48-39--87

155  Aoife Devaney, Waterbury, Conn. - 44-50--94

156  Megha Ganne, Holmdel, N.J. - DQ-DQ--DQ

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