Yao Qualifies for U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship

SCARSDALE, N.Y. — Samantha Yao, a rising junior at Dartmouth College, qualified to play in the 121st United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship thanks to her performance at the sectional qualifying round on Monday at Sunningdale Country Club.

A native of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Yao carded a 2-under 69 on the 6,145-yard, par-71 course in Scarsdale, New York, tying for third with Valentina Rossi from Argentina. That pair was bested only by Jackie Rogowicz, also from Pennsylvania, and Emily Odwin of Barbados at 6- and 5-under, respectively. Only the top five of the 68 competitors qualified to play in the prestigious tournament.

Yao's round started with a bogey on the par-5, 480-yard opening hole, but she righted herself with three pars before draining a birdie. Another bogey on 6 was immediately followed up with another birdie on the par-5 7th, and Yao made the turn at even par. On the back nine, she offset a single bogey with birdies on the par-4 10th and 14 holes, and another on the par-5 16th before finishing the day with pars on the final two holes to secure her qualifying finish.

This was the first of 23 sectional qualifying rounds to be played across the country and Canada. The U.S. Women's Amateur Championship will take place at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, on Aug. 2-8. The field will consist of 156 golfers, starting with 18-hole rounds of stroke play on Aug. 2-3, before being cut to the top 64 players. Five 18-hole rounds of match play will then determine the finalists who will square off in a 36-hole championship match on Aug. 8.

Schedules