Chambers Bay – Page 2 – Syndication Server

U.S. Women’s Amateur: 13-year-old Alice Ziyi Zhao, the second-youngest player in the field, shares co-medalist honors at Chambers Bay

Match play begins Wednesday.

Alice Ziyi Zhao is unlike many 13 year olds.

Others are salvaging the final days of their summers, spending time at the pool or doing whatever to distract themselves of the impending return to school this fall. Zhao, however, is dominating one of the premier women’s amateur golf events in the world.

Zhao earned co-medalist honors at the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington. After 36 holes of stroke play, Zhao sat at 10-under 136, tied with Latanna Stone and Laney Frye. The trio will occupy the top three seeds when match play begins Wednesday with the round of 64.

Stone earned the first seed for match play after firing a 8-under 65, a new women’s competitive record at Chambers Bay.

“Just like yesterday, everything was working well,” Stone said. “I was hitting the ball great and putted really well. Putting kind of saved me a little bit today. But it’s just fairways and greens and keeping it simple. I’m really pumped for match play. I think I can play really aggressive – even more aggressive than I did in stroke play. Yeah, I’m excited.”

Zhao, who shot 6-under 67 in the opening round, was 4 under on Tuesday. Frye was consistent, shooting two rounds of 5-under 68.

Stone will be the top-seeded player in match play, with Zhao earning the second seed and Frye the third.

“I had a couple of mistakes, but otherwise I played pretty solid today,” Zhao, from China, said. “I think I missed two short birdie putts. I really like match play, so hopefully I can put together another couple good rounds.”

Defending champion Jensen Castle, who will be a senior at Kentucky, shot 4-under 69 in the second round to finish in a tie for 14th after stroke play. Rachel Heck, the top-ranked player in the field, finished tied for 46th at 2 over. Megha Ganne, an incoming freshman at Stanford, is in a tie for fourth at 7 under.

Stroke play isn’t quite over yet, however. There was an 8-for-4 playoff to determine the final match play spots that began on the par-4 10th hole. Jieni Li, Jennifer Rosenberg and Camryn Carreon all made par to qualify. Alice Hodge was eliminated with a double bogey, and Victoria Zheng, Julia Misemer, Emma Abramson and Anika Dy made bogey to move on to the second playoff hole.

Playing the par-3 17th, all but Abramson made par, and the playoff was suspended due to darkness. It will resume at 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday with Zheng, Misemer and Dy playing the par-5 18th hole to determine who earns the final match play spot.

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Photos: 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay

The 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur got underway Monday at Chambers Bay.

The 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur got underway Monday at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington.

156 golfers from around the world are vying for one of the biggest amateur prizes in women’s golf. The course, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open, will be played as a par 73 measuring 6,541 yards. The first two days will be stroke play, and the top 64 will advance to match play, which begins Wednesday.

There will be television coverage beginning Wednesday through the end of the championship. Live scoring can be found here.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay:

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5 things to know about the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay

Chambers Bay is a different course than when it hosted the 2015 U.S. Open.

The 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur is set to begin Monday at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington. 156 of the best female amateur golfers in the world are in the Pacific Northwest to try and capture one of the biggest prizes in women’s amateur golf.

The course, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open, will be played as a par 73 measuring 6,541 yards. There will be 36 holes of stroke play with the top 64 players advancing to match play. The champion will be decided in a 36-hole match on Sunday, August 14.

Defending champion Jensen Castle, a senior at Kentucky, is back to defend her title. She went on a historic run last year after surviving a 12-for-2 playoff just to make it to match play, winning it all as the 63rd seed.

The 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur begins at 10 a.m. ET Monday with the first 18 holes of stroke play. Players will go off split tees in two waves with the second group beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

Here are five things to know about the U.S. Women’s Amateur:

Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play 2022: Top 100 U.S. public-access courses ranked

Where are the best places you can play golf in the U.S.? Our rankings of the best 100 public courses for 2022 will be your guide.

Welcome to the Golfweek’s Best 2022 list of the Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play in the U.S.

Each year we publish many lists, with this selection of public-access layouts among the premium offerings. Also extremely popular and significant are the lists for Top 200 Classic Courses, Top 200 Modern Courses, the Best Courses You Can Play State by State and Best Private Courses State by State.

The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings. The top handful of courses in the world have an average rating of above 9, while many excellent layouts fall into the high-6 to the 8 range.

All the courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time.

Each course is listed with its average rating next to the name, the location, the year it opened and the designers. Also included with many courses are links to recent stories about that layout.

KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. Also included with many courses are links to recent stories about that layout.

* Indicates new to or returning to this list.

10 questions: Course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. on golf trees, Chambers Bay and more

The golf course designer has thoughts about trees, Chambers Bay, distance and changing fashions.

Robert Trent Jones Jr., designer of more than 250 golf courses around the world, has plenty of strong views on architecture and the state of the game. The 82-year-old is the son of famed architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., and he’s seen many changes and trends in design over his six decades in the business – some he loves, others he would love to see discarded.

Jones Jr., a past president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, recently spent several days with Golfweek’s course raters at the Golfweek’s Best Architecture Summit at Ross Bridge near Birmingham, Alabama. Ross Bridge is part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, an ambitious project largely designed by the senior Jones that now includes 26 courses at 11 sites. Jones Jr. attended the summit to speak about his father’s legacy on the Trail and beyond.

Jones Jr. graciously answered many questions after playing one round of golf at Ross Bridge and another at nearby Alpine Bay Golf Club – which is not part of the Trail but which was designed by Jones Sr. and reopened in 2016 after having been shuttered for nearly two years. Following are selections of his replies. Editor’s note: These responses are not shown in their entirety and have been edited for brevity.

Take a look at the iconic venues hosting USGA events in 2022

Here are all the events and corresponding venues the USGA will put on in 2022.

In 2022, the USGA is holding championships at some of the most historic venues in the world, highlighted by the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. The U.S. Mid-Amateur is headed to the Midwest, where Erin Hills will pose an enormous challenge for the men who qualify.

On the women’s side, the USGA will welcome players to Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina, for the U.S. Women’s Open. And for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, qualifiers will head to Chambers Bay, University Place, Washington, home of Jordan Spieth’s 2015 U.S. Open victory.

Listed below are all the events the USGA will put on in 2022, accompanied by the corresponding venue.

How a columnist is doing his part, by playing an entire Sunday at stunning Chambers Bay

I mean, come on, it’s golf. How hard can it be to play a full day of golf? Right?

When you consider endurance challenges, you might think about mountain climbing or a marathon or something that could bring a competitor to his knees, wondering if he’ll be able to accomplish his incredible goal.

But no one thinks about golf in those terms. I mean, come on, it’s golf. How hard can it be to play a full day of golf?

A field of 136 players will find out on June 27 when the second annual Chambers Bay Solstice, sponsored by Tommy Bahama, is held at the University Place course that hosted the U.S. Open in 2015.

I played in the inaugural event last year and managed to get through 54 holes. I hit my first tee shot at 5:30 a.m. and hit my last putt at around 7:45 p.m.

Anyone who has played Chambers Bay will tell you it’s a tough walking course when you’re just playing one round. But three? Last year at the age of 63, I walked 22.4 miles and hit 265 shots, averaging 88 per round, taking 53,497 steps and climbing the equivalent of 382 floors.

This year I’m attempting to play 64 holes to match my age, and there will be enough daylight to have a shot at doing it. Last year there would not have been. Because of COVID-19, the Chambers Bay Solstice was pushed back to late July, reducing the amount of daylight.

This year on June 27th, the sun will rise at 5:16 a.m. and set at 9:10 p.m. So there’s enough daylight to get in 72 holes, and some players will try to complete four rounds.

A sailboat passes the course as competitors play the 10th green during the first round of stroke play at the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. on Saturday, May 22, 2021. (Robert Beck/USGA)

Why am I doing this? Honestly, I don’t have a good answer aside from to benefit a great cause. Donations and proceeds from the event go to First Tee of Greater Seattle and South Puget Sound. First Tee is an organization designed for kids to learn life lessons and leadership skills while also being introduced to the game of golf.

After last year’s Chambers Bay Solstice, played in 83-degree weather, I was tired when I got to my truck for the drive home but not fall-down fatigued. I woke up that night with painful cramps in both legs, a reminder that I need to drink more water and less beer this year.

Jim Moore is a longtime Pacific Northwest sportswriter and sports radio personality, and writes a regular column for the Kitsap Sun, part of the USA Today Network.

I have a better idea of what to expect, but am I fooling myself thinking I can play 10 more holes this year than I did last year? I’ve put in enough training, I think, with many hikes up Cougar, Squak and Tiger Mountains over the past few months.

But last week I tweaked my knee while playing a warmup round at Chambers Bay and it’s been barking ever since. Will it hold up over 15 hours and 64 holes? Am I crazy for insisting on playing on 1 1/2 legs? Will I risk further damage to my knee? I don’t know the answer to those questions, but I guess I’ll find out soon.

My wife is even concerned I might collapse and croak. I told her if that happens, dying on a golf course wouldn’t be the worst way to go for someone who enjoys the game as much as I do.

Chambers Bay Solstice organizers will have plenty of on-course fluids available along with energy bars and other protein-packed goodies to help us along the way. It’s really a well-run event, and last year it was pretty cool when my three kids showed up for the last nine holes to help dad get to the finish line.

The field is sold out, but there’s still an opportunity to play in the Saturday night Social Event on June 26th featuring 18 holes of golf, skills contests and beverages and cocktails afterward. For more details and to sign up, visit ChambersBaySolstice.com.

Jim Moore is a longtime Pacific Northwest sportswriter and sports radio personality, and writes a regular column for the Kitsap Sun, part of the USA Today Network. Follow him on Twitter @cougsgo.

Kiko Francisco Coelho, Leopoldo Herrera III win U.S. Amateur Four-Ball

The Florida teens, in their first USGA event, teamed up to win at Chambers Bay, site of Jordan Spieth’s 2015 U.S. Open win.

In the first U.S. Amateur Four-Ball in two years, Florida teens Kiko Francisco Coelho and Leopoldo Herrera III teamed up to win at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington.

Last year’s event was among the many U.S. Golf Association events canceled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.

Coelho, 18, and Herrera, 19, won the 2021 Four-Ball after making birdie on the first extra hole to defeat Brendan MacDougall and Sam Meek. The Canadian duo almost won the match on 18 but MacDougall’s eagle pitch from off the green hit the flagstick but didn’t go in. This was the first USGA event Coelho and Herrera had entered.

The win gets each of them into the 121st U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, in Augusta. Earlier this year, the USGA upgraded the exemption categories for its two Four-Ball competitions, adding spots to the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Herrera just finished his freshman season at Central Florida. Coelho, who grew up in Portugal, will be a freshman at Arizona State this fall. He will also compete in the U.S. Junior Amateur in July at The Country Club of North Carolina.

Chambers Bay, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open won by Jordan Spieth, was recently awarded the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur.

U.S. Women’s Amateur heads to former U.S. Open venue Chambers Bay in 2022

In 2022, female amateurs will get their turn on Chambers Bay when the course hosts the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball is currently underway at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, host of the 2015 U.S. Open. Next year, the women will get their turn when the U.S. Women’s Amateur is hosted on the scenic course on lower Puget Sound.

Chambers Bay made its USGA hosting debut more than a decade ago when the 2010 U.S. Amateur was played there. Peter Uihlein won that event.

“Chambers Bay has become an extremely special place to the USGA, and we are ecstatic that on the heels of this week’s championship we can assure that our relationship with Pierce County and the golf course continues,” said John Bodenhamer, senior managing director, Championships. “The U.S. Women’s Amateur and Chambers Bay are sure to produce a memorable week, fitting of both the championship’s stature and the spectacular setting.”

The U.S. Women’s Amateur, the premiere women’s amateur championship, will be played for the 122nd time next year, and Chambers Bay will be a fitting backdrop. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the course opened in 2007. The 250-acre course, built on the site of a former sand-and-gravel mining operation, is the centerpiece of a 930-acre park owned by Pierce County.

“The USGA has been a tremendous partner since Chambers Bay opened nearly 15 years ago,” said Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier. “To be able to continue this collaboration with another opportunity to showcase our world-class golf course to the best amateur players in the world is incredibly exciting for our entire community.”

The USGA is a week removed from announcing Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles as the site of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur, which means Chambers Bay will start a two-year stretch of West Coast championships. The Women’s Am heads to Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2024.

This year’s event will be played at Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York. Rose Zhang is the defending champion.

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U.S. Amateur Four-Ball bracket balanced with youth, like medalists Kelly Chinn and David Ford, and experience

A pair of teens take the No. 1 seed into match play at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, but there’s plenty of experience on the bracket, too.

The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball owns a short history as one of the newest U.S. Golf Association championships. The tournament has only been played since 2015 (minus 2020, when – like many USGA championships – the Four-Ball was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic), but this year has been one for the books.

In the previous five iterations of the championship, a combined 19 sides managed to post 36-hole totals of 10 under or better in stroke play. Over the weekend at host site Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington (and stroke-play co-host the Home Course), 20 sides produced such scores.

At the top of that list, and with the No. 1 seed now that stroke play is set to begin, are two teenagers: David Ford and Kelly Chinn. They are the Nos. 1- and 3-ranked players in the Golfweek Junior Rankings, respectively, and Chinn is the reigning AJGA Rolex Player of the Year. The two combined for rounds of 62-65 for medalist honors.

Scores: U.S. Amateur Four-Ball

“I know David and I were trying to go as low as possible,” said Chinn, who is headed to Duke University in the fall, while his partner will enroll at Atlantic Coast Conference in-state rival North Carolina. “To shoot [that low of a score] for 36 holes is awesome.”

The cut was made on Sunday evening to the top 32 sides that will advance to match play – or at least, it was almost made. Eleven sides returned to Chambers Bay first thing Monday morning to play off for the final six spots on the bracket.

So far, both youth – like Chinn and Ford – and experience – like defending champions from 2019 Scott Harvey and Todd Mitchell (who finished T3 at 14 under) – are represented.

In the youth category, don’t overlook Luke Potter, who won the Maridoe Amateur last winter, and Preston Summerhays, the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur championship, who combined to take the No. 5 seed.

Teens Carter Loflin and Wells Williams as well as Maxwell Ford (David Ford’s twin brother) and Bruce Murphy also advanced.

The bracket will also include current collegians and 2017 champs Frankie Capan (Florida Gulf Coast) and Shuai Ming Wong (SMU) plus inaugural Four-Ball champs Nathan Smith and Todd White – both of whom have taken turns on the U.S. Walker Cup squad.

The championship match will be played Wednesday.

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