Kelsey Bennett has blasted her way into the knockout phase of the US Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay Golf Course in Washington State.
The Mollymook tyro carded a scintillating second-round three under par 70 to go with her opening round 69 to finish in a tie for 4th place after the 36-hole qualifying was completed earlier today.
After starting her second round on the back nine, Bennett got off to a slow start, dropping two shots in her opening nine holes. Turning for home, however, she went on a tear, birdieing five holes in a row from her 10th (the first hole) to vault into serious contention for medallist honours.
A sixth birdie on the Par four 7th saw her get to eight under with a couple of holes to play, but she dropped a shot on her final hole, the par-three ninth, to finish at seven under par.
Bennett will now meet China’s Jieni Li in the first round of the matchplay with the contest to get underway at 10.20am US Pacific Time tomorrow morning.
“I started off a little scratchy, the putter was cold early but then made a 2 putt on my 10th hole, which is hole 1, for birdie and they just kept going in. I had 5 in a row from then on.”
“I just stayed positive and kept hopeful that they would drop and they did. I hit some really close ones too which helped.”
Western Australia’s Madison Hinson Tolchard was the only other Aussie to make the cut; the Oklahoma State Prididgy a shot back from Bennett at six under, while Queensland’s Justice Bosio missed the cut by two shots after finishing seven over par.
MORE TO COME…
Scores
