Victoria Liu earns medalist honors and top seed at PNGA Women’s Amateur
Olympia, Wash. – Victoria Liu of Vancouver, B.C. shot rounds of 71-74 to earn medalist honors and the No. 1 seed in match play at the 121st Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur, hosted this week July 10-14 at Olympia Country & Golf Club in Olympia, Wash.
After two rounds of stroke play qualifying, the top-32 players have advanced to the match play bracket as the championship now transitions to single-elimination match play.
Championship links:
Liu opened with a 1-under 71 in Monday’s first round and held a share of the lead entering today’s final round of stroke play. In today’s round Liu tied for the low round of the day with a 2-over 74 to claim medalist honors by two shots over Yvonne Vinceri of Redmond, Ore. and Syndey Sung of Palo Alto, Calif.
A rising junior on the Princeton University women’s golf team, Liu had five top-five finishes during this past college season. In 2022 she was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Liu is currently ranked No. 200 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Some other notable players to advance:
- No. 4 seed Grace Lee of Bellevue, Wash. – Rising sophomore on the Gonzaga University women’s golf team. Placed 5th in the WCC conference championships and was named WCC Freshman of the Year. Finished runner-up at last month’s Washington Women’s Amateur.
- No. 5 seed Victoria Gailey of Tigard, Ore. – Recently finished her fifth year as a member of the University of Nevada women’s golf team. Won three tournaments during the 2022-23 college season and was named to the All-Mountain West First Team. Currently ranked No. 472 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
- No. 14 seed Kennedy Knox of Normandy Park, Wash. – Rising junior on the University of Washington women’s golf team. Advanced to the quarterfinals in last year’s championship. Named the 2021 WA Golf Women’s and Junior Girls’ Player of the Year and 2021 PNGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year.
- No. 18 seed Amanda Jacobs of Portland, Ore. – Reigning PNGA Women’s Mid-Amateur champion and four-time PNGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year. Advanced to the semifinals at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
The rounds of 32 and 16 get underway tomorrow, Wednesday, July 12, at 7:30am; followed by quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday; with the championship match on Friday, July 14. Each match will be contested over 18 holes, with the exception of the final match, which will be played over 36 holes.
First held in 1899, the Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur Championship is one of the oldest amateur golf championships in the world. Past champions include Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Famers who made up the Golden Age of female golfers in the Northwest such as JoAnne Carner, Jo Ann Washam, Pat Lesser Harbottle, Edean Ihlanfeldt, Violet Pooly Sweeney, Marcia Fisher, and Betty Jean Hulteng, among others. Past champions also include many others who would later go on to the LPGA Tour, such as Jimin Kang, Peggy Conley, Ruth Jessen and Shirley Englehorn.
The PNGA Women’s Amateur is one of 11 major, regional, amateur championships for men, women, juniors and senior conducted annually by the PNGA throughout the Northwest.
About Olympia Country & Golf Club
The Olympia Country & Golf Club (OCGC) has a long history in Olympia. It was founded in 1917 and in 1925 the club was relocated to its current location on Butler Cove. It started as a 9-hole course and expanded to an 18-hole course in 1958. Known for its tight fairways and lightning-fast greens, the course has played host to Olympia families for generations.
