FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Angel Yin, 15, of Arcadia, Calif., sits atop the leaderboard with a 6-under 66 after Monday’s first round of stroke-play qualifying at the 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, being conducted at Forest Highlands Golf Club.
With the tees moved up from the posted championship yardage and the par-72 Meadow Course playing to 6,526 yards, the long-hitting Yin took full advantage. The thin mountain air also played to her favor, with the Arcadia High rising junior belting some of her drives 300 yards.
The par 5s, I could reach them because they’re shorter, said Yin, who made the cut at this year’s Kraft Nabisco Championship on an amateur exemption. It was pretty short for me.
Starting on the 10th hole, Yin’s first nine holes included three birdies and two bogeys. She then lit up the second nine, converting five birdies in closing with a 5-under 31.
I started getting more warmed up, said Yin, who teed off at 7:20 a.m. MST with temperatures in the mid 50s. The morning was actually pretty cold.
Arizona seems to bring out the best in Yin. This is the third time she has returned a 66, her lowest competitive round, in an Arizona-based event. She shot a 66 in the second round of the 2012 Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship, held at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, as well as in the first round of the 2012 Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic, held at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa.
Mariel Galdiano, 16, of Pearl City, Hawaii; Megan Khang, 16, of Rockland, Mass.; and Jennifer Kupcho, 17, of Westminster, Colo., share second at 3-under 69.
This golf course is in great shape, said Khang, who fell to eventual champion Gabriella Then in the semifinals of the 2013 Girls’ Junior. We’re playing it long, but it does make up for the distance in the change of altitude here.
Khang, who last month played in her second U.S. Women’s Open, is the ninth player to compete in six U.S. Girls’ Juniors. She has taken a fair amount of playful ribbing from her fellow competitors over that statistic.
I’m not technically old yet, but I’m being told that I’m old, said Khang, who is one appearance shy of the championship record of seven set by Margot Morton (1954-60).
Six players are tied for fifth at 2-under 70, led by three-time Mexican Amateur champion Marijosse Navarro, 17, of Mexico. Local favorite Hannah O’Sullivan, 16, of Paradise Valley, Ariz., opened with a 1-under 71 and is tied with four other for 11th.
Eun Jeong Seong, the runner-up and record-setting stroke-play medalist at last week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, showed early signs of understandable fatigue. But after opening with bogeys on three of her first five holes, she made birdies at Nos. 1-4 (her 10th-13th) and finished at even-par 72.
Andrea Lee, who made the cut at the 2014 Women’s Open, carded a 2-over 74. Her fellow Women’s Open competitors Kathleen Scavo and Bailey Tardy opened with 73 and 75, respectively.
The 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play. The championship is scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final at 9:30 a.m. MST on Saturday.
The U.S. Girls’ Junior is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Christina Lance is the assistant manager of championship communications for the USGA. Email her at clance@usga.org.
Results
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Results from the first round of stroke-play qualifying at the 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, being conducted at the 6,718-yard, par-17 Forest Highlands Golf Club (Meadow Course):
Angel Yin, Arcadia, Calif. 31-35--66
Megan Khang, Rockland, Mass. 34-35--69
Jennifer Kupcho, Westminster, Colo. 32-37--69
Mariel Galdiano, Pearl City, Hawaii 33-36--69
Marijosse Navarro, Mexico 35-35--70
Princess Mary Superal, Philippines 34-36--70
Virginia Green, Point Clear, Ala. 35-35--70
Mary Janiga, Wellington, Fla. 34-36--70
Courtney Zeng, Orlando, Fla. 34-36--70
Lauren Waidner, Fleming Island, Fla. 35-35--70
Cindy Ha, Demarest, N.J. 36-35--71
Malia Nam, Kailua, Hawaii 36-35--71
Hannah O'Sullivan, Paradise Valley, Ariz. 36-35--71
Anna Hack, Murray, Ky. 35-36--71
Clare Amelia Legaspi, Philippines 34-37--71
Erica Shepherd, Greenwood, Ind. 36-36--72
Lilia Khatu Vu, Fountain Valley, Calif. 37-35--72
Brigitte Dunne, Camarillo, Calif. 36-36--72
Courtney Dow, Frisco, Texas 34-38--72
Shannon Brooks, Vienna, Va. 32-40--72
Amelia McKee, Paso Robles, Calif. 37-35--72
Emilee Hoffman, Folsom, Calif. 37-35--72
Kristen Gillman, Austin, Texas 37-35--72
Anna Zhou, Palo Alto, Calif. 37-35--72
Eunjeong Seong, Republic of Korea 33-39--72
Ellen Takada, Irvine, Calif. 36-36--72
Dylan Kim, Plano, Texas 35-38--73
Janet Mao, Johns Creek, Ga. 37-36--73
Nina Alexis Novilla, Carson, Calif. 37-36--73
Emma Albrecht, Ormond Beach, Fla. 35-38--73
Kathleen Scavo, Benicia, Calif. 36-37--73
Amanda Doherty, Atlanta, Ga. 37-36--73
Jiyoon Jang, Rancho Mirage, Calif. 38-35--73
Gigi Stoll, Tigard, Ore. 34-39--73
Marianne Li, Bellevue, Wash. 37-37--74
Jakeishya Le, Santa Ana, Calif. 37-37--74
Ana Paula Valdes, Mexico 37-37--74
Fuzzy Brooks, Kingwood, Texas 40-34--74
Andrea Lee, Hermosa Beach, Calif. 37-37--74
Abbey Carlson, Lake Mary, Fla. 35-39--74
Robynn Ree, Redondo Beach, Calif. 38-36--74
Bethany Wu, Diamond Bar, Calif. 36-38--74
Gabrielle Barker, Caldwell, Idaho 38-36--74
Yuka Saso, Philippines 37-37--74
Rose Huang, Honolulu, Hawaii 36-38--74
Samantha Wagner, Windermere, Fla. 35-39--74
Shannon Oh, Oceanside, Calif. 36-39--75
Dree Fausnaugh, Orlando, Fla. 37-38--75
Monica Dibildox, Mexico 40-35--75
Allisen Corpuz, Honolulu, Hawaii 36-39--75
Amanda Kim, Ofallon, Mo. 37-38--75
Julie Luo, Centreville, Va. 39-36--75
Brynn Walker, St. Davids, Pa. 38-37--75
Binny Lee, Frisco, Texas 37-38--75
Bailey Tardy, Norcross, Ga. 37-38--75
Pauline Beatriz Del Rosario, Philippines 40-35--75
Maya Walton, Austin, Texas 39-36--75
Chakansim (Fai) Khamborn, Thailand 36-39--75
Haley Thiele, Wahoo, Neb. 37-38--75
Elizabeth Wang, San Marino, Calif. 36-39--75
Kaitlyn Papp, Austin, Texas 37-38--75
Muni He, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. 37-38--75
Julie Houston, Allen, Texas 39-37--76
Cheyenne Knight, Aledo, Texas 39-37--76
Calista Reyes, San Diego, Calif. 40-36--76
Gabriela Coello, Venezuela 35-41--76
Maddie Luitwieler, Katy, Texas 38-38--76
Jacquelyn Galloway, Rio Rancho, N.M. 39-37--76
Yealimi Noh, Concord, Calif. 36-40--76
Isabella Dilisio, Hatfield, Pa. 37-39--76
Gina Kim, Chapel Hill, N.C. 36-40--76
Kristin Dahee Chung, Republic of Korea 39-37--76
Sarah Rhee, Lynnwood, Wash. 37-39--76
Maria Davis, Vallejo, Calif. 39-37--76
Julia Dean, Brighton, Mich. 37-39--76
Madison Thomas, Shelbyville, Ky. 41-35--76
Sofia Chabon, Philippines 36-40--76
Sabrina Long, Alpharetta, Ga. 37-39--76
Isabella Fierro, Mexico 37-39--76
Logan Otter, Saint Peters, Mo. 37-39--76
Grace Ni, Houston, Texas 40-37--77
Abigail Cantwell, Scottsdale, Ariz. 41-36--77
Ellie Slama, Salem, Ore. 38-39--77
Mika Liu, Beverly Hills, Calif. 39-38--77
Dominique Galloway, Rio Rancho, N.M. 39-38--77
Danielle Lee, La Mirada, Calif. 40-37--77
Annie Swords, Newnan, Ga. 36-41--77
Lexie Long, Dublin, Ohio 38-39--77
Katrina Prendergast, Sparks, Nev. 39-38--77
Brooke Seay, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. 39-38--77
Madison Odiorne, Bend, Ore. 38-39--77
Shelly Shin, Australia 39-38--77
Hailee Cooper, Montgomery, Texas 38-39--77
Samantha Hutchison, San Jose, Calif. 39-39--78
Alexis Biedrzycki, New Lenox, Ill. 40-38--78
Morgan Gonzales, Chandler, Ariz. 38-40--78
Maria Vesga, Colombia 40-38--78
Elsa Moberly, Science Hill, Ky. 38-40--78
Janet Zhang, Canada 38-40--78
Hayden Mammen, Clovis, Calif. 37-41--78
Annika Clark, Highlands, Texas 41-37--78
Nicolette Donovan, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 36-42--78
Gillian Vance, Lakewood, Colo. 37-42--79
Karah Sanford, Escondido, Calif. 39-40--79
Grace Yatawara, Salisbury, N.C. 41-38--79
Jessica Luo, San Jose, Calif. 37-42--79
Sophie Dipetrillo, Dover, Mass. 42-37--79
Michelle Kim, Canada 39-40--79
Maria Andrea Donado Paez, Colombia 39-40--79
Patricia Wong, Walnut, Calif. 37-42--79
Megan Furtney, South Elgin, Ill. 39-40--79
Ellie Szeryk, Allen, Texas 40-39--79
Katie Stribling, Santa Ana, Calif. 36-43--79
Olivia Benzin, Tacoma, Wash. 41-38--79
Minjou Chen, Chinese Taipei 39-40--79
Elizabeth Bose, Norfolk, Va. 40-40--80
Melissa Yao, Alameda, Calif. 39-41--80
Emily Salamy, Williamsburg, Va. 39-41--80
Susana Vik, Norway 40-40--80
Christina Yang, Suwanee, Ga. 37-43--80
Christina Parsells, Bernardsville, N.J. 37-43--80
Claire Hodges, Sorrento, Fla. 39-41--80
Alanis Sakuma, Kapolei, Hawaii 37-43--80
Holly McCann, Raleigh, N.C. 42-38--80
Claire Cameron, Martinsville, Ind. 39-42--81
Ailin Li, People's Republic of China 44-37--81
Emma Whitaker, Wichita, Kan. 41-40--81
Luiza Altmann, Windermere, Fla. 41-40--81
Stephanie Lau, Fullerton, Calif. 39-42--81
Anita Uwadia, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 42-39--81
Madison Pacheco, Pensacola, Fla. 41-40--81
Kiran Sangha, San Mateo, Calif. 41-40--81
Maggie Rees, Carmel, Ind. 42-39--81
Ty Akabane, Danville, Calif. 41-40--81
Jaclyn Murray, Grand Junction, Colo. 39-43--82
Kasey Nielsen, Kent, Ohio 40-42--82
Lauren Comegys, Austin, Texas 42-40--82
Delaney Shah, North Potomac, Md. 39-43--82
Haylee Harford, Leavittsburg, Ohio 40-42--82
Kenedee Peters, Olympia, Wash. 42-40--82
Jessica Sloot, Fruit Heights, Utah 40-42--82
Jennifer Krause, Eugene, Ore. 44-39--83
Emily Corrigan, Irvington, N.Y. 40-43--83
Anna Redding, Concord, N.C. 38-45--83
Hannah Zeman, Ontario, Calif. 43-41--84
Catherine Caudill, Clarksville, Tenn. 42-42--84
Haley Bookholdt, Columbus, N.J. 41-44--85
Mackenzie Hawkes, Madison, Conn. 43-42--85
Yeji Shin, Norwood, N.J. 42-43--85
Larissa Carter, Auburn, N.Y. 42-44--86
Sydney Merchant, Morrison, Colo. 40-46--86
Caroline Caudill, Clarksville, Tenn. 44-43--87
Kennedy Swann, Austin, Texas 42-45--87
Erin Sargent, Longmont, Colo. 41-47--88
Hannah Ghelfi, East Falmouth, Mass. 46-44--90
Meagan Rachey, Waconia, Minn. WD-WD--WD