Amelia Garvey And Madison Young Play Their Way Into U.S. Women’s Open At Vancouver Golf Club Qualifier
New Zealand's Amelia Garvey Tees Off On No. 10 At Vancouver Golf Club - BC Golf Image
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
There just seems to be something about Kiwis and Vancouver Golf Club. New Zealand’s most famous golf export, Lydia Ko, has won a pair of LPGA events at the Coquitlam layout and now Christchurch native Amelia Garvey has produced a little magic of her own.
Garvey dominated a 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open qualifier, shooting rounds of 69 and 71 to finish four shots clear of the field. “I guess I should have called Lydia for some advice,” Garvey said. “I didn’t know she had won on this course.”
Garvey really didn’t need any help. The 23-year-old, who played her collegiate golf at the University of Southern California, got off to a fast start in the opening round of the qualifier.
She was five-under through her first 14 holes before experiencing her only major hiccup of the day, a double-bogey on the par 4 15th hole. “I played great today,” Garvey said. “I really just played within myself. I feel like I have been trying to do a little bit too much the last six or seven months. Today I played with what I’ve got and trusted what I came with to the course today. I played confidently.”
Garvey, who now plays on the Epson Tour, is off to what will be her fourth U.S. Women’s Open. This year’s tourney is being played May 30-June 2 at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. “I seem to do a pretty good job with these qualifiers,” Garvey said with a smile.
“I feel like I have a pretty good mindset for them. You just have to give yourself a shot coming down the last nine holes and that’s what I did. The course was playing really tough today and I just left myself in good spots.”
Two spots were available into the Open for the 46-player field at Vancouver Golf Club, which played long and tough in cool, breezy conditions. The second spot was claimed by Madison Young of Canton, Ga., who had to work a little overtime to earn it.
Young finished tied at even-par with Ana Belac of Slovenia, Kelly Tan of Malaysia and Vancouver’s Vanessa Zhang. They headed out in fading daylight in a sudden-death playoff that went four holes before Young clinched her spot with a two-putt par.
The 26-year-old Young, who played her collegiate golf at Kennesaw State University in her home state of Georgia, earned a spot in her first U.S. Women’s Open despite playing with a severe head cold.
After sinking what she described as a nervy two-foot putt to clinch her spot, she shared an emotional hug with her husband Tyler, who was caddying for her. “This makes it worthwhile,” Young said. “I am in the U.S. Open! I have tried every year since I was very young to qualify. I have come pretty close a few times, so it’s pretty cool that I have finally done it.”
Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf
Madison Young And Her Caddie/Husband Tyler After She Qualified For The U.S. Women's Open At Vancouver Golf Club
Like Garvey, Young is a full-time member of the Epson Tour trying to find her way to the LPGA Tour. She was especially pleased with the way she battled through 40 holes. “I did not hit the ball well at all today,” Young said. “Left was my miss both rounds. Mentally, I just stayed really patient because I knew anything could happen. I am just super excited.”
Belac and Zhang ended up playing a fifth extra hole in virtual darkness to determine first and second alternate positions. Belac earned first alternate status with a par. It was the second close call in as many years at Vancouver Golf Club for Zhang, who is heading to Harvard University this fall to play her collegiate golf.
Image Credit: Bryan Outram/BC Golf
Vancouver's Vanessa Zhang Is A 2nd Alternate For The 2024 U.S. Women's Open
At last year’s U.S. Women’s Open qualifier — where Australian Gabriela Ruffels and Surrey’s Laurent Kim qualified — Zhang was first alternate.
“Maybe the third time will be the charm,” Zhang said. “I put my best foot forward and hit a lot of good shots. Some putts didn’t drop, so I was a little unlucky, but I committed to every shot, trusted my lines and that’s really all I could do.”
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