Youth was served in a big way on Thursday at Lone Tree Golf Club.
In a tournament with no age restrictions, teenagers ruled at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links qualifying.
Five players earned spots in the national championship, including three 17-year-olds, a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old. Four of the five played high school golf in the season that ended just a few weeks ago.
Somin Lee of Denver (pictured above), who just graduated from Overland High School, shot a 1-under-par 71 Thursday to earn medalist honors in a qualifying field which originally numbered 25. The second-best score, a 75, also came from an Overland golfer, SeungHa Choi, who won the Class 5A girls state high school title at Lone Tree last month.
Joining the two teammates at the U.S. Women’s Publinks — which will be contested June 27-July 2 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. — will be Shannon Lubar of Littleton (76), Allie Johnston of Castle Rock (77) and Meaghan Kari, a University of Colorado golfer from Windsor, Calif. (77).
Choi, Lubar and Johnston are all just 17.
“The USGA championships are my favorite tournaments,” said Johnston, who has previously competed in the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the U.S. Women’s Publinks. “I love them so much.”
Johnston was the qualifying medalist in this event last year, but on Thursday she had to sweat out her return trip to the national tournament.
Johnston and Kari were involved in a three-person playoff for the final two spots in the national championship. Johnston made a routine par on the first extra hole to advance, while Kari got up and down for par, sinking a clutch downhill putt from 7 feet. Molly Dorans of Erie came up well short of the green with her approach shot on the par-4 and missed a 25-foot par attempt, which relegated her to first-alternate status.
“I was really nervous” in sudden death, said Kari, who, like Johnston and Choi, qualified for the U.S. Women’s Publinks for the second consecutive year. “I’ve been in playoffs before, and there’s always that adrenalin, that nervous excitement. But it was cool. It’s fun to be in playoffs. You don’t do it very often.”
Lee, fresh off her low-amateur finish in last week’s HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open, made four birdies on the day and overcame a double bogey to win the qualifier by four strokes. The two-time CWGA Junior Player of the Year will play college golf at Pepperdine beginning in the fall.
The U.S. Women’s Publinks “is a big tournament and it’ll be really good experience for me,” Lee said. “It’ll be a good chance for me to improve my game and to see the best girls. I can learn a lot of new things.”
Meanwhile, Choi came into the qualifying event with some confidence after winning the 5A girls state high school title at Lone Tree on May 24.
“Last year I qualified (for the national Publinks) and went to Indiana, and it was pretty fun,” Choi said. “So I was just trying to play again.”
Lubar chipped in for birdie on her first hole Thursday and that shot helped her stay out of a playoff. The end result was that she’ll be competing in her first USGA championship.
“I’ve never done anything like it, so I’m excited,” said the Chatfield senior-to-be. “This is a big deal, an important tournament. It sounds incredible. Everyone says it’s a great time.”
U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Qualifying
At Par-72 Lone Tree GC
Qualifiers
Somin Lee, Denver, Colo. 35-36–71
SeungHa Choi, Aurora, Colo. 40-35–75
Shannon Lubar, Littleton, Colo. 37-39–76
Allie Johnston, Castle Rock, Colo. 39-38–77
Meaghan Kari, Windsor, Calif. 38-39–77
Alternates (in order)
Molly Dorans, Erie, Colo. 40-37–77
Tory Bauman, Bayside, Wis. 38-40–78
Failed to Qualify
Jessie Joachim, Hudson, Colo. 41-38–79
Taylor Buck, Littleton, Colo. 41-39–80
Jenna Zamprelli, Laramie, Wyo. 40-41–81
Kaylee Koeppen, Scottsbluff, Neb. 40-41–81
Bryce Schroeder, Pueblo, Colo. 41-41–82
Shannon Lynn Lutynski, Castle Rock, Colo. 42-41–83
Kasha Scott, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 42-43–85
Paige Crawford, Colorado Springs, Colo. 42-43–85
Monica Marquardt, Bellingham, Wash. 45-42–87
Sally Lawrence, Englewood, Colo. 46-44–90
Melissa Olson, Marana, Ariz. 41-50–91
Vickie Brown, Aurora, Colo. 47-46–93
Maren Scoggins, Denver, Colo. 48-45–93
Brandi Holmes, Cody, Wyo. 50-52–102
Shannon Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. 50-56–106
Susan Beck, Highlands Ranch, Colo. WD
Ariya Jutanugarn, Thailand WD
Jennifer Hocking, Colorado Springs, Colo. WD
