Tag: Rachel Heck

U.S. Women’s Amateur: Brianna Navarrosa’s long day at Chambers Bay carries her into quarterfinals

The USC star had a monumental day in securing a spot in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Making a long day even longer, Thursday at the U.S. Women’s Amateur endured a weather delay, but when the fog finally cleared the final eight players emerged at Chambers Bay from the tournament’s only double-session day.

And although 21-year-old Brianna Navarrosa had to be tired when she was finally done, the USC standout had a monumental day in securing a spot in Friday’s quarterfinals in University Place, Washington.

In the early wave of play, the San Diego product topped Stanford’s NCAA champion Rachel Heck, then she came out of an intense battle against fourth-seeded Kelsey Bennett from Australia.

The match between Navarrosa and Bennett saw 11 lead changes with neither player having more than a 1-up advantage. Bennett buried a big putt on the 17th hole to extend the match and then dropped an 8-foot birdie putt on 18 to send the match to extra holes.

Navarrosa prevailed, however, when Bennett made bogey on the third extra hole and she managed par.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Navarrosa. “I play again tomorrow [Friday]. I haven’t made it this far, and I think my game is the best where it’s been in a very long time, so I’m very happy with that.”

Competitors walk down the fairway on the first hole as fog shrouds some of the golf course during the round of 32 at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. (Darren Carroll/USGA)

Others who advanced included Annabel Wilson of Ireland, who beat Julia Misemer and Katie Li.

“I like how I’m striking it. Then I’m rolling the putts in, so I’m confident in my game,” said Wilson. “We play a lot of match play with Golf Ireland, and I think what I’ve learned over the years is match play is all swinging momentum, and you can’t let it get to you. You’ve just got to play your game.”

New Mexico junior Lauren Lehigh, Princeton freshman Catherine Rao, 21-year-old Monet Chun of Canada, 17-year-old Saki Baba of Japan, 16-year-old Leigh Chien of Irvine, California, and 17-year-old Bailey Shoemaker of Dade City, Florida, are the others to reach the quarters, which start at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local time).

The semifinals will be Saturday and the 36-hole final is set for Sunday.

TV schedule

Friday, Aug. 12, 7-10 p.m. ET, Golf Channel

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

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

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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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Rose Zhang, Rachel Heck and Augusta National Women’s Amateur winner Anna Davis among six wild cards for next LPGA major

Future stars of the women’s game are bound for the LPGA’s fourth major of the season in France.

The Amundi Evian Championship has announced six wild card selections for this year’s event, slated for July 21-24. The season’s fourth major will be held at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, France, with an increased purse of $6.5 million and $1 million to the winner.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko headlines the field along with No. 2 Nelly Korda and last year’s winner Minjee Lee, who won the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles in June and finished runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Five amateurs and one professional have been award exemptions this year, including top-ranked amateur Rose Zhang.

A look at the wild cards for 2022:

Meet the U.S. Curtis Cup team, which features Stanford stars Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck

The 42nd Curtis Cup is set to take place June 10-12 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

The 42nd Curtis Cup is set to take place June 10-12 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. With the event taking place in back-to-back years due to the global pandemic, fans will see many of the same faces from last year’s contest in Wales, where Team USA roared back to defeat Great Britain and Ireland, 12½-7½.

Sarah LeBrun Ingram will once again lead the Americans. The three-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion and Duke standout competed in three Curtis Cup Matches. She finished runner-up to Jill McGill in the 1993 U.S. Women’s Amateur at San Diego Country Club.

England’s Elaine Ratcliffe returns as captain of the GB&I squad.

The schedule for both Friday and Saturday will consist of three morning four-ball matches and three afternoon foursomes (alternate-shot) matches. On Sunday, there will be eight singles matches.

Merion Golf Club holds the record for the most USGA championships hosted by a club (19). The first U.S. Women’s Amateur was held there in 1904.

USA Team finalized for 42nd Curtis Cup at Merion Golf Club

The 42nd Curtis Cup will be held June 10-12 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

The USA Curtis Cup roster is officially set.

Rachel Heck, Rachel Kuehn, Rose Zhang, and Jensen Castle automatically qualified for the team. Heck and Kuehn earned their spots by their status of top-ranked Americans in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Zhang made the squad after she was awarded the 2021 McCormack Medal as the world’s top-ranked amateur.

Now, four more players have been added to Sarah Ingram’s roster.

• Amari Avery, 18, of Riverside, California
• Megha Ganne, 18, of Holmdel, New Jersey
• Emilia Migliaccio, 22, of Cary, North Carolina
• Latanna Stone, 21, of Riverview, Florida

Avery is a freshman at the University of Southern California and recently tied for fourth at the Augusta Nationa Women’s Amateur. Ganne is ranked 20th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, finished low-am at the 2021 Women’s US Open at Olympic Club, and recently committed to Stanford University.

2021 Curtis Cup
USA Team members Emilia Migliaccio, left, and Rachel Kuehn celebrate on the seventh green during the Foursome Match at the 2021 Curtis Cup at Conwy Golf Club in North Wales, United Kingdom on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Oisin Keniry/USGA)

This will be Migliaccio’s second Curtis Cup appearance. She was the runner-up at the 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateur and graduated from Wake Forest last spring. Stone held the lead late at the 2022 ANWA before finishing runner-up. She’s a junior at LSU and is ranked 28th in the WAGR.

The 42nd Curtis Cup will be held June 10-12 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

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USGA announces Rachel Heck, Rachel Kuehn to 2022 Curtis Cup squad bound for Merion

The United States team for the 2022 Curtis Cup is starting to take shape.

The United States team for the 2022 Curtis Cup is starting to take shape.

On Wednesday the USGA announced that Rachel Heck and Rachel Kuehn had earned spots on the squad that will take on the Great Britain & Ireland in the 42nd Curtis Cup, June 10-12 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

Heck and Kuehn earned their spots as the top-ranked Americans in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Rose Zhang, currently ranked No. 1 in WAGR, had already qualified after receiving the 2021 McCormack Medal as the world’s top-ranked amateur. Heck, a sophomore at Stanford with eight college wins, is ranked No. 3. The stroke-play medalist at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur and a four-time collegiate winner over three years at Wake Forest, Kuehn is ranked No. 8.

“Rachel and Rachel are fantastic additions to the team,” said captain Sarah Ingram, a three-time Curtis Cup team member in 1992, 1994 and 1996. “Not only have they had unbelievably impressive collegiate seasons, resulting in these automatic selections, but both are experienced leaders who bring enthusiasm and camaraderie to the team. Having them included in the experience at Merion is something I am very much looking forward to both personally and as team captain.”

Ingram led the Americans to a 12½-7½ victory over GB&I at Conwy Golf Club in Wales last summer in the 2021 matches.

Kentucky senior Jensen Castle had previously earned her spot as the winner of the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur. With four places already secured for the summer matches, the USGA’s International Team Selection group will choose the other four players.

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Stanford’s Rachel Heck points to experience in second Augusta National Women’s Amateur

After a few tough collegiate events, Heck showed she can quickly find her game.

When Rachel Heck teed it up at Augusta National Golf Club for the first time last year, her eyes were wide open.

With arguably the quote of the 2021 tournament, she recalled an exchange with her father and caddie from Friday’s practice round, when they mentioned the idea of laying up when it made sense.

“Are you kidding me,” she said, laughing. “I’m trying to have fun here. I’m playing Augusta National. I want to go for it.”

Fast forward to this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur, where the Stanford sophomore has entered the event as the reigning NCAA champion and is using that experience to narrow her focus this week.

“I think it’s really nice having seen the courses before,” she said. “I know what I’m getting into, and I know the pressure is going to be a lot these first two days because everyone of course wants to make it to Augusta. Having handled that pressure before is really important.”

Rachel Heck of Tennessee lines up her putt during the first round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Champions Retreat on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.

She used that experience in Wednesday’s opening round, shooting 73 at Champions Retreat for a tie for ninth. She used back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to get back to even par for the day before a closing bogey.

“I had a good little run on the back nine. I had a really good par save on 11, got up and down from that bunker, made a good 5-footer for par on 12, then made two 15-footers on 13 and 14,” she said. “It was really good to get the momentum going because in the round I hadn’t had a whole lot drop. I was feeling a little frustrated with where my score is at. It was good to have a few birdies in there.”

ANNIKA Award: Spring Watch List for 2021-22

As the spring season progresses, players make their case for the 2022 ANNIKA Award.

Women’s golf is at the forefront this week as the top players in the world meet for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, to be played at Champions Retreat Golf Club and Augusta National Golf Club on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

As an amateur event and not a college event, the ANWA doesn’t figure into the selection of the ANNIKA Award, but the tournament will still showcase many of the college game’s best, like top-ranked Rose Zhang and her Stanford teammate Rachel Heck, who has now won eight titles with the Cardinal.

The ANNIKA Award honors the player of the year in women’s college golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media.

The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the ANNIKA Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel writers.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual

College Performers of the Week powered by Rapsodo: Rachel Heck, Stanford

The sophomore added an eighth title to her college resume and led Stanford to yet another team victory.

At the heart of a record-breaking team performance in the Gunrock Invitational was Rachel Heck, doing what she’s become known for: winning. Heck, a Stanford sophomore, won the eighth individual title of her career, edging teammate Rose Zhang by four shots to do it.

Heck, Golfweek’s player of the week for a second time this spring, went 18 under for 54 holes at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, California. That effort began with a flawless 9-under 63 in the opening round. She had only two bogeys for the week, and both came in the second round.

After going winless in two fall starts, Heck, ranked No. 4 by Golfweek, is now back in her groove and just one win shy of the Stanford record set by Andrea Lee.

“It’s great to see the Rachel Heck that we had here last spring,” head coach Anne Walker said in a release. “She’s so happy. She’s hitting every shot very loose and confident and relaxed. She’s having a great time with the game. To see her get her eighth win today, and I know there’s plenty more ahead, I’m excited to be part of this. ”

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual
College golf blog: The Road to Grayhawk

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Stanford sets NCAA scoring record (50 under!) as Rachel Heck claims eighth career title

Stanford’s white-hot season went to another level in Sacramento on Tuesday.

Stanford’s white-hot season went to another level at the Gunrock Invitational when the Cardinal set the NCAA scoring record for 54 holes. Their 50-under 814 total beat LSU’s previous record of 46 under and shattered Stanford’s previous school-best by 22 strokes.

The Cardinal beat Washington by 35 strokes, the largest margin of victory in program history, at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento.

“I don’t even have words for this,” said head coach Anne Walker. “It’s so exciting and this team deserves it. We have so many great players top to bottom so to come here and set this record, I’m excited for them, excited for Del Paso the course. I don’t have great words for it but I’m really proud of them. It feels great to bounce back after San Diego State.”

Rachel Heck during the final round of the NCAA Stanford Regional at Stanford Golf Course on May 12, 2021 in Stanford, California.

Sophomore Rachel Heck captured her eighth title. Andrea Lee owns the Stanford career record of nine victories. Heck’s 18-under total also set a school record. The NCAA record of 19 under was set by Ohio State’s Jaclyn Lee in 2018.

Freshman Rose Zhang, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, finished runner-up to Heck at 14 under, while sophomore Sadie Englemann finished a career-best fourth.

Stanford has now won five titles in six team events this season. Zhang has three individual victories, and Heck has now claimed two in a row.

“It’s great to see the Rachel Heck that we had here last spring,” said Walker. “She’s so happy. She’s hitting every shot very loose and confident and relaxed. She’s having a great time with the game. To see her get her eighth win today, and I know there’s plenty more ahead, I’m excited to be part of this.”

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