Six B.C. Girls Qualify For Prestigious U.S. Junior Girls Championship
Surrey's Hannah Lee, Shown Above Playing In The 2016 BC Jr. Girls Championship, Led A Group Of Six Girls From BC Who Have Qualified For The U.S. Jr. Girls Championship - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf
The 2016 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship will take place at the A.W. Tillinghast designed Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J. from July 18-23. Eligibility for the event is for any female who has not turned 18 as of July 23 and whose Handicap Index does not exceed 18.4.
U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship 18-hole qualifying took place at several locations around the United States during the month of June and six girls from British Columbia took advantage of those opportunities to grab spots in one of the most prestigious Junior tournaments in the world.
Surrey's Hannah Lee led the way winning her qualifier at Valley Country Club in Colorado with an even par round of 72 that included 3 birdies and 3 bogies.
She will be joined by fellow medalist Megan Ratcliffe of Bowser who made four birdies in her 1-over round of 73 at the OGA Course in Woodburn, Oregon. Finishing right behind Ratcliffe was Surrey's Susan Xiao with a 2-over 74 and also claiming a spot in the championship.
Also qualifying with medalist honours was Kelowna's Tiegan Taylor with a 4-over 76 at Meridian, Idaho playing The Club At Spurwing. West Vancouver's Phoebe Yue qualified by shooting a 1-over 73 at Flint Hills National GC in Andover, Kansas where she finished 3rd and picked up one of four available spots there.
Joining Lee, Ratcliffe, Taylor, Xiao and Yue at the U.S. Junior Girls Amateur will be Richmond's Alisha Lau who qualified at Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent, Washington in a T2 at 2-over par 74, while Delta's Mary Parsons earned alternate status with a 5-over 77 at the same venue.
Notable past U.S. Girls’ Junior Champions include Nancy Lopez (1972, 1974) Inbee Park (2002) and Lexi Thompson (2008).
2016 U.S. Girls' Junior Qualifiers - Results
06/27/16
CENTENNIAL, COLO. - VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB
Hannah Lee - CANADA 72
06/24/16
WOODBURN, ORE. - OGA GOLF COURSE
Megan Ratcliffe - CANADA - 73
Madeline Chou - SANTA ANA, CALIF. - 74
Susan Xiao - CANADA - 74
06/20/16
KENT, WASH. - MERIDIAN VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB
Adithi Anand - REDMOND, WASH. - 73
Alisha Lau - CANADA 74
Kenedee Peters - EPHRATA, WASH. - 74
Hsin Yu Lu - CHINESE TAIPEI 75
A - Clare Amelia Legaspi - PHILIPPINES - 75
A - Mary Parsons - CANADA - 77
06/20/16
MERIDIAN, IDAHO - THE CLUB AT SPURWING
Tiegan Taylor - CANADA - 76
06/13/16
ANDOVER, KAN. - FLINT HILLS NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Phoebe Yue - CANADA - 73
Schedule of Play for 2016 Championship
Monday, July 18 (Stroke Play, Round 1, 18 holes)
Tuesday, July 19 (Stroke Play, Round 2, 18 holes)
Wednesday, July 20 (Round of 64, match play)
Thursday, July 21 (Round of 32/Round of 16, match play)
Friday, July 22 (Quarterfinals/Semifinals, match play)
Saturday, July 23 (Championship Match, 36 holes)
Next year’s site: Boone Valley Golf Club in Augusta, Mo. from July 24-29, 2017