101st Women’s Texas Amateur Set for July 12-15

The 101st Women’s Texas Amateur will be played July 12-15 on the Tournament Course at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble.

This will be the club’s second TGA championship, having previously hosted the 2007 Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play, won by Jonathan Mathias.

“The TGA is thrilled to have the opportunity to conduct this year’s Women’s Texas Amateur at the Golf Club of Houston,” said Amy Worthington, TGA Director of Women’s Operations. “We look forward to a great test of golf and are confident the Tournament Course will identify a worthy champion and provide an unforgettable experience for everyone.”

The 101st Women’s Texas Amateur will feature a starting field of 88 golfers, comprised of the state’s most accomplished juniors, collegians, mid-amateurs and seniors. The championship format is 18 holes of stroke play qualifying on Tuesday, July 12, with the low 32 scores advancing to the Championship match play bracket. The remaining players are seeded into additional match play flights. First- and second-round Championship matches will be played Wednesday, July 13; quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday, July 14; and the final on Friday, July 15. All matches are 18 holes.

Encompassing over 900 acres, the Golf Club of Houston features 36 holes that weave through a wooded landscape filled with native marshes and waterways. Designed by Jim Hardy and Peter Jacobsen, the Member Course opened in 2002, followed by the Tournament Course designed by Rees Jones, Greg Muirhead and David Toms, which opened in 2005. The Golf Club of Houston has built an impressive championship pedigree in its brief history. For 17 years, the club hosted the PGA Tour’s Houston Open, first played on the Member Course from 2003-2005 and then moving to the Tournament Course from 2006-2019.

For the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur, the Tournament Course will be set up at approximately 6,256 yards and play to a par 72. But yardage alone doesn’t tell the story of the challenges that await. The strategic nature of the design means golfers will be constantly forced to think about numerous aspects of their shots both off the tee and into the green, placing a premium on the angle and trajectory. With penalty areas lining the playing corridors on many holes, prudent course management skills will also be essential, especially during head-to-head competition.

“In my nearly six years at the club, we haven’t hosted a match play event of this magnitude,” General Manager Reese McCall said. “The back nine is set up very well for match play with a great mix of scoring opportunities down the stretch along with some holes that will catch your attention. Hopefully, we have some matches that come down to No. 18, also known as ‘the ball washer.’ The finishing hole on the Tournament Course had consistently been one of the toughest holes on the PGA Tour year after year.”

Emma McMyler, a Xavier University junior from San Antonio, returns as defending champion. She defeated Meagan Winans of Richardson, a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma, in the final match that went 19 holes to win the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur at River Crest Country Club in Fort Worth. McMyler will look to become the first to capture consecutive titles in more than 20 years. The last to accomplish the feat was Texas Golf Hall of Famer Mina Hardin in 1999-2000.

McMyler recently won the Big East Golfer of the Year award for the second straight time. She led Xavier to its third consecutive Big East Conference title and won Medalist Honors at the 2021 Big East Championships. A two-time member of the Women’s Golf Coaches Association’s All-Academic Team, McMyler held the 185th spot in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings as of late June.

Also returning from the 2021 championship are runner-up Winans and semifinalist Elina Sinz of Katy, a junior at Auburn University.

Among the other notable players who will be in this year’s starting field are several top finishers from the TGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship, which was held June 24-26 at the Traditions Club at Texas A&M in Bryan. They are champion Camryn Carreon of San Antonio, a senior at UT San Antonio, Texas A&M junior Ellie Szeryk of Allen (2nd), Texas A&M sophomore Lauren Nguyen of Katy (5th), and Texas Wesleyan University sophomore Malisone Chanthapanya of Fort Worth (T6).

Live scoring updates and daily recaps, as well as tee times and pairings, will be available on the TGA website once the action gets underway from the Golf Club of Houston.

Emma McMyler Wins the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur

Emma McMyler, 19, of San Antonio, fended off a dramatic late rally by Meagan Winans, 18, of Richardson, to win the championship match on the first extra hole of the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur at River Crest Country Club.

It was the latest notable achievement over the past few months for the Xavier University rising sophomore. In April, she was named the Big East Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Two weeks ago, McMyler won the TGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship by four strokes at Comanche Trace in Kerrville and on July 1 she shot a 1-under-par 70 at Northgate Country Club in Houston to earn a spot in the starting field of the 121st U.S. Women’s Amateur.

On Friday, she captured the state’s oldest and most prestigious women’s amateur title and now has her name etched on the Spring Lake Cup alongside such legendary players like World Golf Hall of Fame members Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1935), Betty Jameson (1936, 1939), Betsy Rawls (1949-50) and Sandra Haynie (1959-60).

“It feels amazing to win this championship and have my name on the same trophy with some of the greatest women golfers to ever play the game,” McMyler said. “My iron play was very good today and I felt confident standing over the ball. My putting wasn’t as good, but I was able to make them when I needed to.”

The 18-hole final match was a back-and-forth battle early in the day. McMyler and Winans, an incoming University of Oklahoma freshman, both won two holes on the front nine and made the turn all square. McMyler won the 10th and 13th with pars to take a 2-up lead with five holes to go.

After the two tied the next three holes with pars, McMyler remained 2-up with just two to play. Both players hit the fairway on the tree-lined, par-4 17th. McMyler was first to play and, in a rare miscue, sent her approach in the right greenside bunker. Sensing an opening, Winans stuffed her second shot to 4 feet and made the birdie putt to stay alive.

Winans and McMyler hit hybrids off the 18th tee to stay short of a series of cross bunkers. Winans, who had the honor, drove into the trees on the left. McMyler’s tee shot ended up in perfect position on the right-hand side of the fairway. She played first and hit a brilliant approach to 6 feet. With Winans in trouble, it looked like the match would end on the closing hole.

Until it didn’t.

Winans tried to loft her second shot over the trees, but the ball caught some limbs and dropped about 15 yards short of the green. In a most unlikely turn of events, Winans holed her difficult pitch shot to the considerably elevated green for back-to-back birdies. McMyler still had a chance to drop the curtain on the match, but when her putt caught the right lip of the cup and spun out it was on to the first extra hole.

Both players drove into the left rough on the par-4 1st.  Winans’s ball was sitting up, but McMyler’s had nestled down in the thick Bermudagrass. Winans was first to play, and her approach came out a little heavy and ended up in fringe about 40 feet short of the hole. McMyler was able to wrestle her ball out of the difficult lie and onto the green where it released to 30 feet past the hole. Winans hit her chip shot about 10 feet past and McMyler hit her first putt to just outside gimmie range. When Winans missed her par attempt, McMyler confidently knocked in her 3-footer to win the championship.

“I just tried to focus on my breathing coming down the stretch because Meagan is such a great player and I just knew she was coming,” McMyler said.

Although she came up just short of the title, Winans was encouraged by her performance.

“Emma is such a very steady player I knew I had to make birdies to win,” Winans said. “It feels good to have birdied the last two holes to extend the match.”

There was more golf played at River Crest than just the final match between McMyler and Winans. The players who didn’t qualify for the Championship Bracket were divided into seven match play flights based on their World Handicap System Indexes as of July 23. Each of those flights had championship matches on Friday.

In the First Flight, Patricia Sinolungan of Denton defeated Trinity King of Arlington, 4 and 3. In the Second Flight, Aysis Azarcon of Grand Prairie defeated Hunter Nugent of Irving, 1-up. In the Third Flight, Rebecca Reed of Midland defeated Gabriella Tomanka of Grapevine, 4 and 2.

In the Fourth Flight, Eubin Shim of Woodway defeated Meagan Pistone of Montgomery, 2 and 1. In the Fifth Flight, Brandee Fleming of Magnolia defeated Paige Wood of McKinney, 1-up. In the Sixth Flight, Simone Campise of Lewisville defeated Meghan Meserole of Austin, 6 and 5. In the Seventh Flight, Piper Frisbie of Flower Mound defeated Olive Henry of Ennis, 6 and 5.

For more information on the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.

In celebration of its Centennial Championship this year, the Women’s Texas Amateur returned to the place where it all started. Opened in 1911, River Crest Country Club hosted the first-ever Women’s Texas Amateur in 1916 and then again in 1922, 1932 and 1949. The historic club on the western edge of downtown also was the site of the Texas Amateur in 1917, 1922 and 1954.

The Texas Golf Association is extremely grateful to everyone at River Crest Country Club for all their generosity and hospitality throughout the championship week. Special thanks are due to General Manager Eduardo Moreno, Head Golf Professional Reid Parrish, Superintendent Joe Livingston and his hard-working grounds crew and Food & Beverage Manager Jessica Anderson. The TGA would like to add a special note of thanks to the membership of River Crest Country Club for their extraordinary contributions and efforts in making the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur a true success.

A sincere debt of gratitude is also owed to the many TGA volunteers for their tireless work and dedication to making the Women’s Texas Amateur Centennial Championship such a historic and memorable week.

McMyler, Winans to Play for 100th Women’s Texas Amateur Title

Emma McMyler, 19, of San Antonio, a sophomore at Xavier University, will face incoming University of Oklahoma freshman Meagan Winans, 18, of Richardson, in the championship match of the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur at River Crest Country Club.

McMyler, the No. 4 seed from stroke play, earned her spot in the final on Thursday afternoon by knocking out Auburn University sophomore Elina Sinz, 19, of Katy, 3 and 2. In the morning quarterfinal match, McMyler defeated Oklahoma State University junior Hailey Jones, 21, of Dallas, 7 and 6.

Winans took down No. 6 seed and University of Texas commit Bohyun Park, 18, of Farmers Branch, in the other semifinal match, 2 and 1. Winans defeated her big sister, Libby, a 21-year-old senior at OU, in the morning quarterfinal, 6 and 4.

McMyler, who two weeks ago won the TGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Comanche Trace in Kerrville, never trailed in her semifinal match. She grabbed a 2-up lead after nine holes on Sinz and then went 3-up with a birdie on the par-4 12th. McMyler’s lead was back to 2-up when Sinz birdied the par-3 15th. On the long par-4 16th, McMyler hit a hybrid from 200 yards out to 20 feet. A tap-in par ended the match when Sinz failed to get up and down from right of the green.

“My strategy has been to hit fairways and greens and give myself a chance on every hole,” McMyler said. “I’m going to keep trying to make pars and if I happen to make a birdie, all the better.”

Winans, who was ranked by Golfweek as the No. 13 recruit in the country and No. 2 in the state of Texas, also never trailed in her afternoon match. She was 1-up through nine holes on Park and retained her lead as the two players tied the next six holes with pars. The difficult 16th again proved to be decisive when Park hit her approach shot into the water hazard guarding the left side of the green. Winans blocked her second shot out to the right and then mishit her chip shot short of the green. She got up and down from there for bogey, which was good enough to win the hole and go 2-up. Winans secured her spot in the championship final when the two tied the 17th.

“I’ve driven the ball well this week and the times when I have missed the fairway or green, I’ve managed to recover thanks to my putting which has been very solid,” Winans said. “The greens are very difficult, but for some reason I feel very comfortable on them.”

The 18-hole championship match is scheduled to begin at 10:10 a.m. on Friday.

The players who didn’t qualify for the Championship Bracket were divided into seven match play flights based on their World Handicap System Indexes as of July 23. All seven flights played their semifinals on Thursday with the winners advancing to the finals, which will start at 8 a.m.

In the First Flight, Trinity King of Arlington defeated Hanna Liu of Austin, 20 holes. Patricia Sinolungan of Denton defeated Jordan Dusckas of Highland Village, 6 and 5. King and Sinolungan will meet in the First Flight final on Friday.

In the Second Flight, Hunter Nugent of Irving defeated Madison Goldberg of Austin, 2 and 1. Aysis Azarcon of Grand Prairie defeated Anna Takahashi of Grapevine, 3 and 2. Nugent and Azarcon will meet in the Second Flight final on Friday.

In the Third Flight, Rebecca Reed of Midland defeated EG Messenger of Montgomery, 8 and 6. Gabriella Tomanka of Grapevine defeated Madison Head of Haslet, 2 and 1. Reed and Tomanka will meet in the Third Flight final on Friday.

In the Fourth Flight, Eubin Shim of Woodway defeated Elle Fox of Copperas Cove, 1-up. Meagan Pistone of Montgomery defeated Sarah Kmiecik of Houston, 6 and 5. Shim and Pistone will meet in the Fourth Flight final on Friday.

In the Fifth Flight, Brandee Fleming of Magnolia defeated Caitlyn Lindell of Grand Prairie, 2-up. Paige Wood of McKinney defeated Gracie Heinle of Conroe, 6 and 5. Fleming and Wood will meet in the Fifth Flight final on Friday.

In the Sixth Flight, Simone Campise of Lewisville defeated Jennifer Hoyt of Horseshoe Bay, 3 and 2. Meghan Meserole of Austin defeated Ellie Rippee of McKinney, 1-up. Campise and Meserole will meet in the Sixth Flight final on Friday.

In the Seventh Flight, Piper Frisbie of Flower Mound defeated Anna Schultz of Heath, 3 and 2. Olive Henry of Ennis defeated Mallory Matthews of Hondo, 19 holes. Frisbie and Olive will meet in the Seventh Flight final on Friday.

Live scoring updates will be available once the action gets underway from River Crest Country Club.

In celebration of its Centennial Championship this year, the Women’s Texas Amateur has returned to the place where it all started. Opened in 1911, River Crest Country Club hosted the first-ever Women’s Texas Amateur in 1916 and then again in 1922, 1932 and 1949. The historic club on the western edge of downtown also was the site of the Texas Amateur in 1917, 1922 and 1954.

No. 1 Seed Advances to Quarterfinals at 100th Women’s Texas Amateur

Top-seeded Kenlie Barrett of The Woodlands posted a pair of lopsided match play victories on Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinal round of the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur at River Crest Country Club.

Barrett, who shot a 2-under-par 68 in Tuesday’s 18-hole stroke play qualifying round to earn medalist honors, defeated Cari Denson of Hankamer, 8 and 7, in the morning Round of 32, then promptly went out and beat Kyle Fraser of Fort Worth by the same margin of victory in the afternoon Round of 16.

Barrett will take on Elina Sinz of Katy, who handily took down two of the top-ranked players on Wednesday. The 19-year-old Sinz, a sophomore at Auburn University, ousted No. 9 seed Kennedy Pedigo of Fort Worth, 6 and 5, in the afternoon after defeating No. 8 seed Sydney Givens of Austin, 7 and 5, in the morning.

Ellie Szeryk, 19, of Allen defeated defending champion Bentley Cotton of Austin, 1-up, in the Round of 16. Szeryk, a sophomore at Texas A&M, also scored a 1-up victory over Amelia McKee of Spring earlier in the day.

Szeryk will square off against No. 6 seed and UT commit Bohyun Park of Farmers Branch who bested Hannah Holzmann of San Antonio, 4 and 3, in the afternoon after defeating Eryn Garza of Montgomery, 6 and 4, in the morning.

Emma McMyler of San Antonio, who two weeks ago won the TGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Comanche Trace in Kerrville, still has a chance of adding another major title to her resume this summer after reaching the quarterfinal round. A sophomore at Xavier University, McMyler had to go to the 19th hole in defeating Ava Schwienteck of Magnolia in the Round of 32. McMyler, 19, edged Faith Kilgore of Wimberley, 2 and 1, in the afternoon.

McMyler will face Oklahoma State University junior Hailey Jones. A two-time Texas Junior Amateur champion and semifinalist in last year’s Women’s Texas Amateur, Jones, 21, defeated No. 4 seed Reagan Gray of Missouri City, 4 and 3, in the Round of 16 after taking down Melissa Loh, also of Dallas, 6 and 4, in the morning.

In a match that is sure to have major implications – like household bragging rights as well as a spot in the semifinals – sisters Libby and Meagan Winans of Richardson will face each other in one of Thursday morning’s quarterfinals. Libby, a 21-year-old senior at the University of Oklahoma, edged by No. 4 seed Audrey Tan of Denton on the 19th hole in the afternoon after defeating Jordan Karrh of Frisco, 5 and 3, in the morning. Eighteen-year-old Meagan, who will be joining her older sister at OU this fall, earned her place in the quarterfinals by defeating No. 10 seed Megan Daleo of Plano, 2 and 1, in the Round of 32 and Camryn Carreon of San Antonio, 2 and 1, in the Round of 16.

The players who didn’t qualify for the Championship Bracket were divided into seven match play flights based on their World Handicap System Indexes as of July 23. All seven flights played their quarterfinals matches on Wednesday.

In the First Flight, Hanna Liu of Austin defeated Lauren Nguyen of Katy, 3 and 2. Patricia Sinolungan of Denton defeated Molly Murray of McKinney, 3 and 2. Trinity King of Arlington defeated Madigan Murray of McKinney, 4 and 3. Jordan Dusckas of Highland Village had a bye on Wednesday. Liu, Sinolungan, King and Dusckas all advanced to the First Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Second Flight, Hunter Nugent of Irving defeated Ellie Roth of Plano, 2 and 1. Anna Takahashi of Grapevine defeated Kaylee Vesely of Austin, 4 and 3. Madison Goldberg of Austin defeated Delaney Martin of Boerne, 4 and 3. Aysis Azarcon of Grand Prairie defeated Jensen Jalufka of Austin, 4 and 3. Nugent, Takahashi, Goldberg and Azarcon all advanced to the Second Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Third Flight, EG Messenger of Montgomery defeated Janane Tan of Coppell, 2 and 1. Rebecca Reed of Midland defeated Faith Delagarza, also of Midland, 6 and 4. Gabriella Tomanka defeated Annika Saidleman of Austin, 20 holes. Madison Head of Haslet defeated Brooke McDonough of Spicewood, 3 and 2. Messenger, Reed, Tomanka and Head all advanced to the Third Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Fourth Flight, Elle Fox of Copperas Cove defeated Gabbi Bentancourt of Frisco, 2-up. Meagan Pistone of Montgomery defeated Allie Bianchi of Allen, 4 and 3. Sarah Kmiecik of Houston defeated Kathryn McNease of San Antonio, 4 and 2. Eubin Shim of Woodway defeated Sophie Biediger of Dallas, 1-up. Fox, Pistone, Kmiecik and Shim all advanced to the Fourth Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Fifth Flight, Caitlyn Lindell of Grand Prairie defeated Sydney Williams of Frisco, 4 and 3. Paige Wood of McKinney defeated Gabriela McNelly of Mico, 7 and 6. Gracie Heinle of Conroe defeated Mina Hardin of Fort Worth, 3 and 2. Brandee Fleming of Magnolia defeated Madison Ozuna of Edinburg, 6 and 5. Lindell, Wood, Heinle and Fleming all advanced to the Fifth Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Sixth Flight, Simone Campise of Lewisville defeated Emily Ritchie of Fair Oaks Ranch, 3 and 2. Meghan Meserole of Austin defeated Destiny Arenas of Lubbock, 4 and 3. Jennifer Hoyt of Horseshoe Bay defeated Madison Brown of Kemp, 1-up. Ellie Rippee of McKinney defeated Camry Tardy of Arlington, 19 holes. Campise, Meserole, Hoyt and Rippee all advanced to the Sixth Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Seventh Flight, Nancy Beck of Dallas defeated Mallory Matthews of Hondo, 19 holes. Olive Henry of Ennis defeated Kathy Crumley of San Antonio, 3 and 1. Anna Schultz of Heath defeated Katherine Adelmann of Midlothian, 3 and 1. Piper Frisbie of Flower Mound had a bye on Wednesday. Beck, Henry, Schultz and Frisbie all advanced to the Seventh Flight semifinals on Thursday.

The quarterfinals and semifinals in the Championship Match Play Bracket will be played Thursday, starting at 8 a.m. Live scoring updates will be available  once the action gets underway from River Crest Country Club.

In celebration of its Centennial Championship this year, the Women’s Texas Amateur has returned to the place where it all started. Opened in 1911, River Crest Country Club hosted the first-ever Women’s Texas Amateur in 1916 and then again in 1922, 1932 and 1949. The historic club on the western edge of downtown also was the site of the Texas Amateur in 1917, 1922 and 1954.

100th Women’s Texas Amateur Set for July 6-9

In celebration of its Centennial Championship, the Women’s Texas Amateur is returning to the place where it all began. From July 6-9, River Crest Country Club will host the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur, 105 years after the storied club staged the first-ever championship.

“We are so excited to be at River Crest Country Club for the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur,” said Amy Worthington, TGA Director of Women’s Operations. “The fact this historic club hosted the inaugural championship over a century ago and we have the opportunity to come back and play the 100th edition on the same course is remarkable. I’m certain River Crest will provide the ideal test in identifying a worthy champion, just as it has proven many times in the past.”

The 1916 championship at River Crest was the first event conducted by the newly formed Women’s Texas Golf Association, which had been established earlier in the year by a group of pioneering women from the host club and neighboring Glen Garden Country Club for the purpose of advancing golf opportunities for women in Texas.

The championship has been on a remarkable journey in the ensuring years since the final putt was holed in the inaugural event. The trip has included stopovers at the best clubs all across the state, from Amarillo to the Rio Grande Valley, from Midland to Texarkana, from major metropolitan areas to pastoral small towns and all points in between.

“Returning to where it all started for the Centennial Championship is a true privilege and helps connect the past to the present,” said Stacy Dennis, TGA Executive Director and two-time Women’s Texas Amateur champion (2004, 2009). “It is a unique moment in time to not only honor all those who contributed to the growth and success of women’s golf in Texas, but also to celebrate the future and the opportunities it will bring.”

This will be fifth Women’s Texas Amateur and eighth TGA major championship overall held at River Crest Country Club. In addition to the inaugural championship, the club hosted the Women’s Texas Amateur in 1922, 1932 and 1949. River Crest also hosted the Texas Amateur in 1917, 1922 and 1954.

“River Crest Country Club has a rich history in women’s golf in the state of Texas,” said Reid Parrish, Head Golf Professional at River Crest. “It is the birthplace of the Women’s Texas Golf Association in 1916 and counts several Women’s Texas Amateur past champions as River Crest members, including Pauline Stripling French, Babe Zaharias, Anelia Goldthwaite and Polly Ann Riley. We are honored to continue this history hosting the best amateurs in the state at this year’s 100th Women’s Texas Amateur.”

The list of state amateur champions who have won at River Crest includes three dominant players of their era and who are now enshrined in the Texas Golf Hall Fame: Edna Lapham, Charles Dexter and the great Betsy Rawls, who also is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

River Crest opened for play in 1911 and was designed by Thomas Bendelow and A.W. Tillinghast. The course has undergone several renovations over the years, most recently in 2018 overseen by Colligan Golf Design to highlight the bunkering, contoured greens and narrow fairways of the original design.

Measuring just 6,368 yards from the back tees and playing to a par 70, River Crest emphasizes the notion that something does not need to be big in order to be good. The layout exudes sportiness, with precision and steady nerves required on every shot to consistently hit the twisting fairways, which are edged by trees and OB stakes, and consistently hold its small, canted greens, which are guarded by yawning bunkers.

Length off the tee mean less than creativity and course management skills at River Crest, which contestants will find out for themselves once the championship starts.

The 100th Women’s Texas Amateur will feature a starting field of 88 golfers, comprised of the state’s most accomplished juniors, collegians, mid-amateurs and seniors. The championship format is 18 holes of stroke play qualifying on Tuesday, July 6, with the low 32 scores advancing to the Championship Match Play Bracket. The remaining players are seeded into additional match play flights. First- and second-round Championship matches will be played Wednesday, July 7; quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday, July 8; and the final on Friday, July 9. All matches are 18 holes.

Bentley Cotton of Austin, who won the 99th championship last year at The University of Texas Golf Club, will be back to defend her title. Cotton, a sophomore on the UT Women’s Golf Team, will attempt to become the first back-to-back champion in more than 20 years. The last to accomplish the feat was Texas Golf Hall of Famer Mina Hardin in 1999-2000.

Among the prominent college players who will look to dethrone Cotton at River Crest include two top finishers from the 99th championship: runner-up Makenzie Niblett of Austin, a sophomore at Texas A&M, and semifinalist Kennedy Pedigo of Fort Worth, a senior at SMU. Also expected to make a spirited run at this year’s title are Xavier University sophomore Emma McMyler of San Antonio, winner of last week’s TGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship and Dallas Baptist University junior Faith Delagarza of Midland, who in May helped lead the Patriots to their first NCAA II Women’s Golf National Championship.

Live scoring updates and daily recaps, as well as tee-times and pairings, will be available once the action gets underway from River Crest Country Club.

Top Seeds Tumble at 99th Women’s Texas Amateur

AUSTIN – Wednesday morning’s Round of 32 in the Championship Match Play Bracket of the 99th Women’s Texas Amateur brought a host of major upsets. Half of the top-10 seeded competitors made early exits from the University of Texas Golf Club after the first round of match play.

It started right off the bat, too, as St. Mary’s University sophomore Estelle Beck, the No. 32 seed, knocked off the No. 1 seed and Qualifying Round Medalist, Baylor senior Gurleen Kaur, 4 and 2. Beck and Kaur traded 1-up leads during the first nine holes. On the par-3 12th, Beck squared the match when Kaur made a bogey.

From there, Beck’s putter caught on fire. She rolled in a 20-footer for birdie on No. 13 to go 1 up. She eased in a two-putt par on the 14th hole to go 2 up. Beck then drained a 25-foot birdie on the long par-4 15th to go 3 up.

“I just went into today thinking I had nothing to lose,” said Beck, who had to survive a four-person playoff on Tuesday to sneak into the Championship Match Play Bracket. “I just wanted to do my best, and I really did. I’ve never really done this well under pressure before. It’s a major point in my life where I’m feeling very comfortable and confident now.”

That was more than evident on the next hole. After her tee shot, 55 feet stood between Beck’s ball and the flagstick. It was an uphill putt for birdie that broke severely from right to left. She visualized her ball tracking to the hole and made her stroke. A few seconds later, her ball dove into the hole, a birdie bomb that ended the match and took down the No. 1-seeded Kaur.

“I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Beck said. “I just hit the putt and stood there with my hand over my mouth, thinking, ‘Holy…’ Then I heard my aunt and my mom scream. It was really awesome.”

Normally, the 32nd-seeded player taking down the overall No. 1 seed is a huge story. Wednesday at UT Golf Club, it was just the beginning. Julia Gregg, the Arkansas sophomore who was the runner-up at the 97th Women’s Texas Amateur in 2018, earned the No. 31 seed on Tuesday in Qualifying. Like Beck, Gregg had to fight her way into the Championship Match Play Bracket through a playoff.

Gregg then dispatched the second-seeded Faith Delagarza, 2 and 1. Gregg and Delagarza, a Dallas Baptist University sophomore, took turns leading their match for most of the day. Gregg took a 1-up lead with a birdie on the par-4 13th and ended the match with another birdie on the par-4 17th.

Continuing the morning’s trend, Fourth-seeded Hailee Cooper, a Texas junior playing on her team’s home course, lost a heartbreaker in 20 holes to 29th-seeded Hunter Nugent, a University of Indianapolis sophomore.

Also going down in the Round of 32 were eighth-seeded Hannah Holzmann and No. 9 seed Jennie Park. Holzmann, a junior at the University of Texas-San Antonio, fell 2 and 1 to 25th-seeded Hailey Jones, the Oklahoma State sophomore and three-time Legends Junior Tour Player of Year. Park, a Texas Christian University sophomore, suffered a 3-and-2 loss to University of Alabama senior Kenzie Wright to cap off the morning session of higher-seeded players prevailing.

In the afternoon, Gregg backed up her early victory with another upset in the Round of 16. The former Prestonwood Christian Academy standout defeated No. 15 seed and University of Tennessee junior Mikayla Bardwell, 1 up.

Beck said the day’s results underscores the strength of the field and fickle nature of match play golf.

“It shows that everyone has their days, and this course is extremely challenging,” said Beck, who suffered a 4-and-3 defeat in the Round of 16 to University of Kentucky sophomore Kelsey Wylie. “Everyone in this tournament is a great player. There is a very high skill level here.”

After the topsy-turvy morning Round of 32, form mostly held in the afternoon’s Round of 16. No. 3 seed Stanford freshman Sadie Englemann needed 21 holes to defeat Texas A&M senior Ava Schwienteck, the No. 14 seed. Englemann is the highest-seeded player remaining in the championship.

No. 5 seed Makenzie Niblett, an incoming freshman at Texas A&M, also advanced to the Quarterfinals, as did sixth-seeded Bentley Cotton, an incoming Texas freshman and No. 7 seed Kennedy Pedigo, a senior at Southern Methodist University.

Jones, the former LJT standout, joins Gregg as the two highest-seeded players to make it into the Quarterfinals. The 25th-seeded Jones outlasted Wright, the Alabama senior, in 20 holes to advance.

Thursday morning bring the Quarterfinals, which starts at 7:30 a.m. Also on Thursday morning, the four additional flights will play their Semifinals matches. In the afternoon, the Championship Bracket will play their Semifinals matches. For more information on the 99th Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.

Gurleen Kaur Earns Medalist Honors at 99th Women’s Amateur

AUSTIN – A little course knowledge went a long way on Tuesday for Baylor senior Gurleen Kaur at the University of Texas Golf Club. Quite familiar with the dramatic Hill Country course, Kaur poured in six birdies on her way to shooting a 4-under-par 67 during the Qualifying Round of the 99th Women’s Texas Amateur.

Kaur earned Medalist honors and the No. 1 seed in the Championship Match Play Bracket with her impressive round. The Houston native said between junior events, college tournaments and practice rounds, she’s easily played UT Golf Club more than a dozen times.

“I’ve played here so many times that this place feels like a second home,” said Kaur, the 68th-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. “This is the best I’ve ever seen the course. The greens are in perfect condition. My course knowledge really helps with knowing where you need to be in the fairway and for placement on the greens.”

After missing birdie tries on the first two holes, Kaur cashed in on the par-4 third hole when she rolled in a 6-footer. She backed it up with a 5-foot birdie on the par-4 fourth hole. The three-time collegiate tournament winner gave a stroke back with a bogey on the par-4 fifth, but she remedied that with a 12-foot birdie on the par-5 ninth hole.

“Then I chipped in for birdie on No. 10 from behind the green,” she said. “I almost drove the green on 13. I chipped that one up to about 3 feet and made birdie. On 16, the par 3, I hit it to about 20 feet and drained that one.”

It all added up to a tournament-best 67, which was four shots better than the four players who tied for second place. Faith Delagarza, a Dallas Baptist University senior from Midland; Sadie Englemann, a Stanford freshman from Austin; Hailee Cooper, a University of Texas junior from Montgomery; and Makenzie Niblett, a freshman at Texas A&M all finished at even-par 71 in the Qualifying Round.

For complete scores, click here.

This year’s championship features one of the strongest fields in recent memory. Five of the top 100 players in the World Amateur Golf Rankings are playing UT Golf Club this week, for example. That list includes Kingwood’s Hanna Alberto, the reigning Women’s Amateur champion. Ranked 62nd in the World, Alberto has won six college tournaments. She also played in the 2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

“We’re obviously thrilled to be able to conduct this championship given the state of the world right now,” TGA Women’s Tournament Director Amy Worthington said. “Having such a strong field with so many elite college players only elevates this championship. We’re going to see some really, really good golf this week.”

In order to ensure a safe environment for everyone involved, the TGA developed specific player guidelines and a safety plan that is in full compliance with local orders. All players and spectators, as well as TGA volunteers and staff, are required to follow all guidelines. Masks or face covers, for example, are mandatory while indoors and while outdoors when safe distancing can’t be maintained, such as players sharing golf carts.

The TGA also has a dedicated staff member continually sanitizing all touchpoints during the championship, in addition to numerous other Covid-19 precautions.

Built in 2003 by Roy Bechtol and Randy Russell, UT Golf Club is a sprawling 7,412-yard, par-72 course. In Tuesday’s Qualifying Round, the best women amateurs in Texas played the classic Hill Country course as a par 71 from 6,121 yards.

Home of the UT Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams, the course is as scenic as it is demanding. Located in the upscale Steiner Ranch community of Austin, the UT Golf Club course overlooks the Colorado River and offers stunning panoramic views of the area’s vistas and valleys.

Championship golf courses tend to produce champions, and that certainly is the case here. UT Golf Club has been the home base for some of the game’s best young champions, including the likes of three-time major champion Jordan Spieth, PGA Tour winners Dylan Frittelli, Cody Gribble and Jhonattan Vegas, 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year Scottie Scheffler, 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion Sophia Schubert and the 13th ranked female amateur in the world, Kaitlyn Papp.

In 2010, the Austin-based club hosted the 89th Women’s Texas Amateur. Texas A&M standout Sarah Zwartynski of Allen captured that title.

UT Golf Club General Manager Steve Termeer said the club couldn’t be more excited to welcome the best women amateurs in the state to its facility.

“To host the 99th Women’s Texas Amateur is just awesome,” he said. “We’re all about the spirit of competition. If you look at this trophy, it’s unbelievable. We’ve got Betsy Rawls, Betty Jameson and there’s a lady on here named Mary Ann Rathmell, who turned Mary Ann Morrison, and she won this event 10 times. She was a member of ours previously. It’s just an incredible honor for this club to host this event.”

The Rounds of 32 and 16 in the Championship Match Play Bracket will be played Wednesday, starting at 7:30 a.m. For more information on the 99th Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.