ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s Jenny Bae and Caroline Craig earned medalist honors at qualifiers for the 121st annual U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship earlier this week. In addition, Céleste Dao secured alternate status from her qualifying event. This year’s Am will be contested at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., from August 2-8.
On Monday, Bae continued an amazing run of success by shooting 5-under 68 to win the qualifier at Woodmont Golf and Country Club in Canton, Ga. The victory was Bae’s third in six days. Last Wednesday, she won the GSGA’s Georgia Women’s Amateur by five strokes. Two days later she captured the top spot at the Georgia PGA’s Georgia Women’s Open by two shots.
On Tuesday, Craig was the lone golfer of the 65 entrants at Carolina Trace Country Club in Sanford, N.C., to post a red number. She shot 3-under 69, three strokes clear of the rest of the field. Craig tuned up for the qualifier with a top-20 finish at the Donna Andrews Invitational in Lynchburg, Va., last week.
Also on Tuesday, Dao posted a 2-over 75 at Seymour Golf and Country Club in Vancouver to tie for fourth on the leaderboard. She then earned a second alternate spot for the Am over three other golfers.
In addition, Jo Hua Hung and Alison Crenshaw competed in the qualifier at Woodmont. Hung shot 2-under 70 and tied for sixth. Hung was among five golfers who competed in a playoff for the final qualifying spot and two alternate positions but failed to advance. Crenshaw shot 77 and tied for 47th.
Georgia annually has qualifiers reach the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Vicki Goetze won the 1989 and 1992 U.S. Amateurs and also was medalist at the 1990 Am.