Tag: Bailey Shoemaker

Augusta National Women’s Amateur runner-up Bailey Shoemaker has historic final round

Bailey Shoemaker rewrote the record book.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Bailey Shoemaker rewrote the record book Saturday at Augusta National Golf Club.

The University of Southern California freshman put together a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 to finish runner-up in the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. It was the lowest final round in the history of the tournament.

Not bad for a first competitive round at Augusta, though it’s important to note she was also a Drive, Chip & Putt finalist in 2018.

Even though she was the clubhouse leader at 7 under for much of the afternoon, it wasn’t enough to overcome Florida State sophomore Lottie Woad. Woad finished birdie-birdie, sealing the deal on No. 18 to take the crown. Despite not winning, nothing is taken away from Shoemaker’s historic round.

“I’m obviously disappointed, but at the end of the day, I played about as good as I could have,” she said. “Maybe a couple of putts could have dropped. But I made just about everything too. It is what it is.”

ANWA: Lottie Woad’s victory in photos

The 19-year-old came into Saturday four shots off the lead. While she may not have had a record-breaking round in mind, she knew she needed to play well.

“I didn’t have a set score in my head, but I thought around 3-under would be pretty good,” she said. “Everybody wants to win, but I was just hoping for a top five or a good finish this week. Once the putts started going in, I thought there might be a chance. So I just kept it rolling.”

Shoemaker finished with 33s on both the first and second nines, highlighted by a birdie on the par-3 No. 16. She finished the afternoon with six birdies and no bogeys.

ANWA: This local college golfer played as a marker

“On 16, I was in between clubs. I went up a club,” she said. “I was trying to get like five yards right, go up,take the hill, pulled it. Good club, I guess. Just barely carried on the front edge, and it was good. A nice little birdiefrom five feet.”

This was Shoemaker’s first made ANWA cut in three tries, and she’s taking a mature approach to the outcome, even though it didn’t go the way she may have envisioned.

“Just another opportunity where I’ve been in the hunt and in position to win a tournament,” she said. “It’s been a while for me, but it’s OK. Especially at Augusta National, it was fun. It was exciting. Good test of pressure for myself, I feel like. It’s always good to put yourself in that position and see how you perform.”

Many of the lessons learned this week will come in handy during the rest of her season at USC.

“I learned that I can be patient and I can take a moment. Really been working on sport psych and just letting go, accepting, just whatever happens, happens,” she said. “Once you get to the next shot, nothing’s happened before that and just really got to focus on the next one. I was really proud of myself today. I was super patient. Forgot what was happening almost, just focused on what’s happening right now. Not worried about the future or what’s happened in the past.”

Gritty Lottie Woad scripts sublime finish, captures Augusta National Women’s Amateur title

“I was hoping it was going to be like a nice, stress-free day.”

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Lottie Woad typically calls an Uber on Saturday mornings around 7:30 a.m. to get a lift to the golf course. The Florida State sophomore doesn’t have a car in the U.S., and while most college students her age are hitting snooze, Woad hits the practice facility. The Englishwoman’s work ethic is legendary.

“You think you work hard, and she works 10 times harder,” said teammate Charlotte Heath. “We have pros at our club, and Lottie outworks them all.”

When the moment came for that meticulous preparation to pay off on one of the biggest stages at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the lion-hearted Woad delivered a finish for the ages.

After USC’s Bailey Shoemaker posted a course-record 6-under 66 to take the clubhouse lead at 7 under, Woad birdied three of the last four holes to overtake her. Woad joined Arnold Palmer in 1960 and Mark O’Meara in 1998 as champions at Augusta National Golf Club who birdied their final two holes to win by one shot.

“I was hoping it was going to be like a nice, stress-free day,” said Woad, “but it was far from that. In the end, it’s a cooler way to finish.”

ANWA: Photos from Augusta National

Woad had English national coach Steve Robinson on the bag, and the pair put together a meticulous plan to attack the final round. They knew which hole locations they wanted to play short, and which ones were better to be long. With Woad’s magnificent approach play all week, most of the time, things went according to plan.

The mess of a bogey on the par-5 13th, however, proved an exception. Robinson gave her a pep talk after that hole and again on the 14th, though he wouldn’t divulge what was said.

The Augusta National Women’s Amateur is unique in that the 36-hole leader must sleep on the lead not one but two nights. Robinson said they talked about the fact someone would come for her. Even though she led by two going into the final round, it wouldn’t be surprising if she had to chase down the stretch.

Woad did her best to embrace it.

“If been told before this week that I’d be two back with four to play, I would have been like, yeah, perfect, that sounds great,” said Woad. “To be in the mix on the back nine at Augusta is something that everyone dreams about.”

When Shoemaker approached the 18th green on Saturday – five groups ahead of Woad – fans seemed almost oblivious to the kind of round she’d put together. They offered a polite applause as she walked up to the green with a few muffled whoops.

A brilliant two-putt from the back of the green brought a little more reaction. But it wasn’t until a man raised both hands and yelled “Six under! Great round!” that Shoemaker finally started to get a proper reaction for a record day.

She gave one more glance back at the giant scoreboard on No. 18 as she walked off the green, leading by one.

Woad, ever the board-watcher herself, knew exactly what needed to be done.

2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur
Lottie Woad reacts after sinking the winning putt on no. 18 during the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Luke Bone began working with Woad at Farnham Golf Club when she was 7 years old. Bone, 37, has had to up his teaching game as Woad upped hers, though he still works with the 80-year-olds at the club as well as the up-and-coming teens.

Over the years, Bone preserved the unique patterns of Woad’s powerful swing and focused mainly on the hitting area, making sure that she was stable with the clubface through impact so that she could control her ball-flight and shot shape.

Woad won the 2022 British Girls’ Amateur at Carnoustie before coming to Florida State, a move that has given her more months to practice on quality greens. If there’s a weakness in her game, it’s her putting, which is where she spent most of her time coming into this week.

This week, and Saturday in particular, stands out as one of the best weeks she’s had on the greens.

“Thankfully, it came at the right time,” she said.

Bond describes Woad as a player with a strong golf IQ who thrives on competition. Once a month she gets on a call with Bone to talk about Woad’s game. Woad has such a good handle on her game that Bond told her earlier this spring that they’re going to start getting super nitpicky.

“She’s always going to push to be the best,” said Bond.

ANWA: Lottie Woad’s victory in photos

Woad drained a 15-footer for birdie on the par-5 15th to pull within one and narrowly missed a good look on the 16th to tie. She’d get another chance on the 17th after hitting a wedge from 104 yards to 12 feet.

After piping another brilliant drive, she hit a little 9-iron from 130 pin high and poured in another 15-footer to close with a 69 and an 8-under total. World No. 1 Ingrid Lindblad notched her third top-three finish at this event, finishing alone in third, four back. She stayed at LSU for a fifth year, in part, for one more shot at winning this event.

“I feel every time I come in here, I just have a smile on my face,” said Lindblad. “It doesn’t matter how it goes. You’re happy to be here.”

Bond, who was standing behind the 18th when the putt dropped, threw both hands in the air, calling it “big time.”

“The kid’s just got the ‘it’ factor,” she said.

2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur
Lottie Woad speaks during a ceremony following the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Woad’s 85-year-old grandmother made the trip to America to watch her play and caught most of the action on Saturday. She’d been taking long walks back in England to prepare the week.

Marian was there on the 18th along with Woad’s father and an aunt. Younger sister Milly had exams and stayed said back in England with mom.

“I hope they enjoyed it,” she quipped during the trophy ceremony.

With the win, Woad receives exemptions into four of the five LPGA majors, including the Chevron Championship two weeks from now. The Chevron happens to fall on the same dates as the ACC Championship, which means Woad will soon have a tough decision to make.

Asked early in the week what makes Woad unique, Robinson said she’s prepared to pay the price to be successful.

It paid off handsomely. The gritty Woad scripted a sublime finish at Augusta National that won’t soon be forgotten.

Players to watch at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club

It’s bound to be an exciting week at Bel-Air.

It’s time for one of the premier women’s amateur championships.

The 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur begins Monday at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, as the field of 156 players will vie for their chance to capture the oldest trophy in women’s amateur golf, the Robert Cox Trophy.

This will be the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur, which began in 1895. There were a record 1,679 entries accepted for the championship.

Although the top three players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking aren’t in the field, including defending champion Saki Baba, there’s no shortage of star power who will be teeing it up near Beverly Hills.

Here’s a look at 10 players to watch at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club.

Teams to watch at the USGA Women’s Amateur Four-Ball include Stanford mid-ams, pair of 14-year-olds and a bomber who nearly advanced through U.S. Open local qualifying

Match play begins on Monday with the Round of 32.

History was made at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball as seven teams shared medalist honors at stroke-play qualifying. That’s the most for any USGA championship, surpassing the six players who medaled at the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Bandon Dunes.

During an unseasonably warm and windy day at The Home Course in DuPont, Washington, the seven sides finished at 11-under 133 to top a crowded leaderboard. A total of 32 teams advanced to match play, with an 8-for-5 playoff moving into a Monday finish.

Defending champs Thienna Huynh, 19, of Lilburn, Georgia, and Sara Im, 18, of Duluth, Georgia, carried their momentum into 2023 as they shared medalist honors thanks to a nine-hole record of 30 on the front nine.

Thienna Huynh and Sara Im at the medalist ceremony during the the second round of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. on Sunday, May 14, 2023. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

Match play begins on Monday with the Round of 32. With the NCAA Championship being held this week in Arizona, few college players were able to qualify for the event due to scheduling. That leaves a number of hotshot teen tandems in the field. In fact, there were 18 players in the field this week between the ages of 12 and 15.

Two teams of 14-year-olds advanced.

Here are five more teams to watch heading into match play:

A 39-year-old pro with renewed dreams and a bevy of teens among 311 players at Stage I of LPGA Qualifying School at Mission Hills

Get to know a little more about the players in Stage I of LPGA Q-School.

For those wondering, it’s too hot for the scarf. Kim Welch, a 39-year-old pro who has competed only a handful of times in the past few years, is known for her trademark head scarf. The 2008 “Big Break” winner came back to Stage 1 of LPGA Q-School this year in the California desert because her heart told her head she wasn’t done.

Meanwhile, for Bailey Shoemaker, a 17-year-old who competed last week in the U.S. Women’s Amateur, everything is new this week. The rising high school senior and University of Southern California commit wanted to give Q-School a test drive. Shoemaker said she has no plans to turn professional this year.

“I just wanted to test myself a little bit this week,” said Shoemaker of her first time to Mission Hills. “I feel like the more rounds I have the better chance I’ll have in the future.”

Bailey Shoemaker plays her tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 77th U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club on June 03, 2022 in Southern Pines, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

A field of 311 hopefuls will tee it up this week for the chance to compete for an LPGA card later this year. Stage I is held over three different courses: Mission Hills Country Club (Dinah Shore and Palmer Courses) and Shadow Ridge.

Players who complete 54 holes without a score of 88 or higher will earn 2023 Epson Tour status. Any player who shoots 88 or higher in any of the first three rounds will be withdrawn from the event and not be eligible to receive any tour status for 2023.

The top 100 and ties will advance through to Stage II in October. There are a total of three stages.

The youngest player in the field is 16-year-old Holly Victoria Halim of Indonesia, and the oldest is 41-year-old Constanza Jofre of Argentina.

Welch, who won 11 times at Washington State, can’t even remember her first trip to Q-School.

“Were some of these kids not even alive?” she asked with a laugh. “It’s actually a really legit question that I don’t want to know the answer to.”

Welch has 23 career starts on the LPGA and won on the Epson Tour more than a decade ago. She spent most of 2020 volunteering at Los Angeles food bank during the pandemic and later started a small charcuterie business. She even worked as Kenny G’s moving coordinator during her break from competitive golf. She and her fiancé have known the famed musician for years.

Kim Welch in action during the Mission Hills Celebrity Pro-Am on 26 October 2014, in Haikou, China. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images)

Before COVID, when Welch was competing full-time on the Epson Tour, she felt pretty good about her game as she climbed the money list in 2017. But with four events left in the season, Welch found out that her father, Pete, had Stage 4 prostate cancer and he died within two months.

She had already signed up for Q-School that year and decided that he would’ve wanted her to play.

“I literally could not tell you what I shot, how I played, how I felt,” she said. “I was just kind of like a zombie that week.”

It was at a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier this year that Welch really felt the competitive juices start to flow again. She wanted to give the LPGA another go because deep down, it doesn’t feel over yet. And she felt it was a way to honor her dad.

There’s also the fact that the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open will be played at Pebble Beach for the first time, a special place for the Welch family. As a junior, tournament winners in Northern Cal gathered on Dec. 26 at Pebble Beach for the annual Tournament of Champions.

Welch remembers packing up Christmas day to head to Pebble with her parents – the ultimate present.

As a pro, Welch was invited to play in the TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational and had the chance to invite her parents.

“It ended up being my dad’s last 18 holes of golf,” said Welch, “which is pretty epic.”

Left to right at Pebble Beach in 2017: Dad Pete Welch, Kim, fiance Bret and mom Kazuko (courtesy photo)

There was a time when Welch, a former bomber, would look up and down the range at Mission Hills and compare herself to other players in the field. She doesn’t feel the need to do that anymore.

“I think I used to carry around a lot of self-doubt and needing validation,” said Welch, “and now it’s like I have that internally.”

Welch competed on the Ladies European Tour at the same time as Ashleigh Buhai, and said the 33-year-old’s breakthrough success at the AIG Women’s British Open at Muirfield certainly serves as inspiration. Even teeing it up in a Women’s British for the first time, for Welch, would be a thrill.

Welch played a practice round this week on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course with a “Big Break” super fan who peppered her with questions. It was a fun trip down memory lane.

Shoemaker, a semifinalist at Chambers Bay, is at the start of her memory-making journey. The highlight of her summer, she said, was making the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles. She loved playing in front of a crowd.

Shoemaker said she plans to take classes next summer to get a jump on her college degree and hopes to graduate in three years. There are 23 teens in the field this week.

“I feel like the window for women’s golf is a lot smaller,” said Shoemaker.

But there’s always room for late bloomers.

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U.S. Women’s Amateur: Japan’s Saki Baba routs Canada’s Monet Chun in final at Chambers Bay

What a weekend for Japan’s Saki Baba at the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur.

What a weekend for Japan’s Saki Baba at the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur.

On Saturday, Baba, 17, routed fellow 17-year-old Bailey Shoemaker of Dade City, Florida, 7 and 6, in Saturday’s semifinal at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington. It was the largest margin of victory in the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Am since Annika Sorenstam won by that same score in 1992.

In Sunday’s final, Baba won going away once again, this time earning an 11-and-9 win over Monet Chun, 21, of Canada, to win her first USGA title. Baba is the second golfer from Japan to win the Robert Cox Trophy. Baba was 7 up through 14 holes and held that same lead after the 18 holes of the 36-hole final. The U.S. Golf Association reports it was the biggest lead after 18 holes in 60 years.

U.S. Women’s Amateur: Scoring | Photo gallery

After a lengthy break, the pair only played nine more holes. Chun cut the lead to 5 up through 21 holes, but Baba then won the next six holes to end the match after 27 holes.

“It’s just amazing. I just can’t believe it,” said an emotional Baba through a translator. “I was able to [play] my kind of golf. Yeah, everything just went smoothly.”

It’s the largest margin of victory in a U.S. Women’s Amateur final since Anne Sander in 1961.

By virtue of reaching the final, Baba and Chun are each exempt into the 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in July 2023.

Golfers from eight countries (U.S., Australia, Canada, China, England, Ireland, Japan, Korea) have now won USGA titles in 2022.

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U.S. Women’s Amateur: Saki Baba, Monet Chun advance to championship final at Chambers Bay

The winner will become the 15th first-time winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur all-time.

The week started with 156 of the world’s best women’s amateur golfers vying for the Robert Cox Trophy at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington. Now, that number is down to two.

Saki Baba of Japan and Monet Chun of Canada will face off Sunday in a 36-hole final to determine the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur champion.

Baba won in dominant fashion, knocking off Bailey Shoemaker from the United States 7 and 6. She recorded five birdies in 12 holes to only one bogey. Baba won five of the first seven holes, and a birdie after driving the short par-4 12th sealed the victory.

Baba’s win is the largest margin of victory in the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur since Annika Sorenstam won by that same number in 1992. Baba is the second player from Japan to reach the final all-time, joining Michiko Hattori in 1985.

In the other semifinal, Chun won the first hole and played solid golf all day to hold on to beat Ireland’s Annabel Wilson 2 and 1. Wilson won the second hole, but Chun took the lead for good with a birdie on the par-4 5th hole.

Wilson birdied the par-4 10th to get to 1 down, but Chun won the par-5 13th. The duo halved their next four holes, and Chun was victorious.

Chun would be the third Canadian to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur, joining Cathy Sherk, who won it at Sunnybrook Golf Club in 1978, and Marlene Stewart Streit, who won it in 1956 at Meridian Hills Country Club. Brooke Henderson, who won the Amundi Evian Championship last month, was the last Canadian to make the final in 2014.

U.S. Women’s Amateur: Scoring | Photo gallery

Sunday’s winner clinches a spot in the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open, which will be played at historic Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey, California.

Chambers Bay opened in 2007 and previously hosted three U.S. Golf Association championships, including the 2015 U.S. Open.

Semifinal results

  • 53 Monet Chun, Canada def. 33 Annabel Wilson, Ireland, 3 and 1
  • 34 Saki Baba, Japan, def. 54 Bailey Shoemaker, Dade City, Florida, 7 and 6

Championship match

Monet Chun vs. Saki Baba, 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. local time)

How to watch

Sunday, Aug. 14, 7-10 p.m. ET, Golf Channel

Corrections & Clarifications: ​This article has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Cathy Sherk’s name and the correct year (1978) that she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

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U.S. Women’s Amateur is down to the final four: Meet the 2022 semifinalists at Chambers Bay

The 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur is at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington.

The 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur started with 1,497 entries. A total of 156 golfers made the field at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, outside Seattle.

After the fifth day of competition Friday in the 122nd rendition of the championship, there are four golfers left.

The semifinals are now set for Saturday. There will be a 36-hole final Sunday, with the winner clinching a spot in the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open, which will be played at historic Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey, California.

U.S. Women’s Amateur: Scoring | Photo gallery

Chambers Bay opened in 2007 and previously hosted three U.S. Golf Association championships, including the 2015 U.S. Open.

Quarterfinal results

The quarterfinals featured five girls from the United States and one each from Canada, Ireland and Japan. Of the eight, only one was a top-10 seed.

  • 33 Annabel Wilson, Ireland, def. 8 Catherine Rao, Camarillo, California, 3 and 1.
  • 53 Monet Chun, Canada, 19 holes over 45 Brianna Navarrosa, San Diego.
  • 34 Saki Baba, Japan, def. 39 Lauren Lehigh, Loveland, Colorado, 4 and 3.
  • 54 Bailey Shoemaker, Dade City, Florida, def. 30 Leigh Chien, Irvine, California, 5 and 3.

The 33, 34, 53 and 54 seeded players will make up the semifinals.

Semifinal matches

  • Annabel Wilson vs. Monet Chun, 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local time)
  • Saki Baba vs. Bailey Shoemaker, 2:15 p.m. ET (11:15 a.m. local time)

How to watch

Saturday, Aug. 13, 3-6 p.m. ET, Golf Channel

Sunday, Aug. 14, 7-10 p.m. ET, Golf Channel

Get to know the four semifinalists: