WAPL: Jutanugarn advances to Second Round
On Wednesday Ariya Jutanugarn, qualifying medalist easily advanced to the second round of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship by beating Canada’s Augusta James 7 and 6.
For lowest 36-hole score at 135 on Tuesday, the 14-year-old Jutanugarn, from Thailand matched the stroke-play tournament record. Behind Michelle Wie (13 in 2003), she is trying to become to the second-youngest winner in tournament history.
Before rain delayed play at Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course for three hours, Jutanugarn finished her match. Thursday morning, in the second round, she will face Karen Chung of Livingston, N.J. Karen Chung, and a 4-and-2 winner over Grace Na of Oakland, Calif.
Beating Jessie Jordan of Urbana, Ohio, 3 and 2, stroke-play runner-up Martina Gavier of Argentina also advanced for the next challenge.
Over Kuriko Tsukiyama of Bogota, N.J., and Victoria Sungmin Park of Irvine, Calif., beat No. 4 Brittany Altomare of Shrewsbury, Mass., 1-up, the third-seeded Lizette Salas of Azusa, Calif., had a 2-up victory. Altomare bogeyed the closing hole, while, Park finished with a birdie on the par-4 18th.
In the opening round for the second straight year, the 2009 stroke-play medalist, Tiffany Lua of Rowland Heights, Calif., lost the match. To Victoria Fallgren of Lakewood, she fell 3 and 1, Calif. Kimberly Kim of Hilo, Hawaii, the 2006 and 2009 runner-up, advanced with a 4-and-3 victory over Simone Hoey of Long Beach, Calif.
On Thursday are the second and third rounds, which are followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals on Friday. On Saturday, the 36-hole championship match will be held.
The tournament is open to amateurs who do not hold privileges at any course that does not extend playing privileges to the general public and who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 18.4.
