U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR

Meet the 2019 Quarterfinalists

By Joey Geske, USGA

7 MIN READ | Aug 8, 2019 | West Point, Miss.

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USC junior Gabriela Ruffels has only played 42 holes in three matches this week at Old Waverly. (USGA/Steven Gibbons)

U.S. Women's Amateur Home

Caroline Canales, 16, Calabasas, Calif.
Instagram: @carolinecanales
- Born April 18, 2003 in Tarzana, Calif.
No. 2064 in Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™
- Playing in her third USGA championship and first U.S. Women’s Amateur
- Rising junior at Calabasas High School
- Competed in the 2018 and 2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior championships, missing the cut two weeks ago at SentryWorld
- Outside of golf, is a Level 10 certificate of merit pianist and has performed as a soloist with the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic
- Her sister, Olivia, was her teammate at Calabasas and will join the University of California-Irvine golf team this fall
Road to the Quarterfinals
- Shot 76-68—144 in stroke play to earn the No. 25 seed
- R64: Def. Elina Sinz, 3 and 2
- R32: Def. Michaela Morard, 4 and 2
- R16: Def. Allisen Corpuz, 3 and 2
Megha Ganne, 15, Holmdel, N.J.
- Born March 5, 2004 in Long Branch, New Jersey
- No. 543 in Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™
- Playing in her seventh USGA championship, second U.S. Women’s Amateur
- Rising sophomore at Holmdel High School in Holmdel, N.J.
- Advanced to the Round of 64 at the 2019 and 2018 U.S. Girls’ Junior championships
- Four-time Drive, Chip & Putt national finalist
- Won the 2017 New Jersey Junior PGA Championship
Road to the Quarterfinals
- Shot 73-73—146 in stroke play to earn the No. 48 seed
- R64: Def. Gina Kim, 1 up
- R32: Def. Bentley Cotton, 19 holes
- R16: Def. Emily Hawkins, 20 holes
Andrea Lee, 20, Hermosa Beach, Calif.
Instagram: @andrea_lee54
- Born Aug. 15, 1998 in Hermosa Beach, Calif.
- No. 2 in Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™
- Playing in her 16th USGA championship, seventh U.S. Women’s Amateur
- Rising senior at Stanford University, where she currently is tied for the school record with 8 victories
- Runner-up in the 2016 U.S. Girls’ Junior
- Semifinalist in the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur
- Finished T-60th at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open in Charleston, S.C., one of five amateurs to make the cut
- Represented the United States in the 2016 and 2018 Curtis Cups
Road to the Quarterfinals
- Shot 67-75—142 in stroke play to earn the No. 15 seed
- R64: Def. Sabrina Iqbal, 6 and 5
- R32: Def. Brooke Matthews, 4 and 3
- R16: Def. Alexa Pano, 23 holes
Lucy Li, 16, Redwood Shores, Calif.
Instagram: @_lucy_li
- Born Oct. 1, 2002 in Stanford, Calif.
- No. 4 in Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™
- Playing in her 14th USGA championship
- Quarterfinalist in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur at The Golf Club of Tennessee after earning co-medalist honors during stroke play (lost to eventual champion Kristen Gillman in 19 holes)
- Semifinalist and stroke-play medalist in the 2018 U.S. Girls’ Junior
- Member of the victorious 2018 USA Curtis Cup Team, going 3-0-1 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y.
- In 2014, she was the youngest qualifier in U.S. Women’s Open history at 11 years, 8 months and 14 days
- In 2013 at the Country Club of Charleston (S.C.), she became the youngest qualifier in U.S. Women’s Amateur history at 10 years, 10 months.
Road to the Quarterfinals
- Shot 74-73—147 in stroke play to earn the No. 58 seed
- R64: Def. Morgan Baxendale, 5 and 4
- R32: Def. Amanda Doherty, 5 and 4
- R16: Def. Pimnipa Panthong, 2 and 1
Gabriela Ruffels, 19, Australia
Instagram: @gabiruffels
- Born April 18, 2000 in Orlando, Fla.
- No. 52 in Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™
- Playing in her third USGA championship, first U.S. Women’s Amateur
- Rising junior at the University of Southern California
- Won the 2019 North & South Women’s Amateur Championship at Pinehurst last month
- Competed in the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open at the Country Club of Charleston
- Played tennis at an international level for eight years before starting golf at age 15
- Both of her parents, Ray Ruffels and Anna-Maria Fernandez, played tennis professionally
- Ray Ruffels was a mixed doubles finalist in the 1978 US Open and Wimbledon with Hall of Famer Billie Jean King, and was a three-time singles semifinalist in the Australian Open
- Anna-Maria Fernandez won the 1981 AIAW single title as a senior at the University of Southern California and helped the Trojans to team titles in 1979 and 1980
- Her older brother, Ryan, currently competes as a professional golfer on various tours
Road to the Quarterfinals
- Shot 72-68—140 in stroke play to earn the No. 6 seed
- R64: Def. Shaebug Scarberry, 5 and 4
- R32: Def. Haylin Harris, 4 and 3
- R16: Def. Brooke Seay, 6 and 5
Aneka Seumanutafa, 18, Emmitsburg, Md.
Instagram: @anekals_
- Born Oct. 28, 2000 in Ewa Beach, Hawaii
- No. 57 in Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™
- Playing in her 12th USGA championship, third U.S. Women’s Amateur
- Rising sophomore at The Ohio State University
- 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and WGCA Second Team All-American with the Buckeyes
- Set a stroke-play record in the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with partner Faith Choi with a 12-under 60 during the first round at Timuquana C.C. in Jacksonville, Fla.
- Reached the Round of 16 at the 2015 U.S. Girls’ Junior at Tulsa (Okla.) Country Club
- Advanced to the Round of 64 in 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Portland (Ore.) Golf Club as a 14-year-old
- Won the 2017 North & South Junior Girls Championship at Pinehurst and finished runner-up in 2018
Road to the Quarterfinals
- Shot 74-72—146 in stroke play to earn the No. 53 seed
- R64: Def. Julie Houston, 4 and 3
- R32: Def. Angela Liu, 4 and 3
- R16: Def. Annabell Fuller, 3 and 2
Albane Valenzuela, 21, Switzerland
Instagram: @albane.valenzuela
- Born Dec. 17, 1997 in New York City, N.Y.
- No. 5 in Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™
- Playing in her sixth USGA championship, third U.S. Women’s Amateur
- Rising senior at Stanford University
- Runner-up in the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur at San Diego C.C.; lost to Sophia Schubert, 6 and 5
- Played in three U.S. Women’s Opens (2016, 2018, 2019)
- Named Pac-12 Women’s Golfer of the Year, First-Team All-American and an ANNIKA Award Finalist during her junior season at Stanford
- Shared low-amateur honors in the 2019 Evian Championship and 2016 ANA Inspiration
- Represented Switzerland in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and finished 21^st; one of two amateurs to compete
- Her younger brother and caddie, Alexis, competed in this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur championship at Inverness Golf Club in Toledo, Ohio
Road to the Quarterfinals
- Shot 69-73—142 in stroke play to earn the No. 13 seed
- R64: Def. Sierra Brooks, 2 and 1
- R32: Def. Brynn Walker, 1 up
- R16: Def. Megan Schofill, 4 and 3
Kenzie Wright, 21, McKinney, Texas
Instagram: @Thepriceiswright17
- Born Aug. 17, 1997 in McKinney, Texas
- No. 445 in Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™
- Playing in her fourth USGA championship, but first U.S. Women’s Amateur
- Rising senior at the University of Alabama
- Transferred to Alabama last year from Southern Methodist University, where she played two seasons and earned All-American Athletic Conference honors
- Reached the Round of 16 in the 2019 Women’s Texas Amateur
- Finished third in the 2018 Dixie Amateur in Coral Springs, Fla.
Road to the Quarterfinals
- Shot 71-74—145 in stroke play to earn the No. 35 seed
- R64: Def. Ya Chun Chang, 3 and 1
- R32: Def. Lauren Hartlage, 20 holes
- R16: Def. Min A Yoon, 3 and 1

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