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Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Alberta defeated Caroline Inglis of Eugene, Ore. in the Final match to win the 112th Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur; and Kareen Markle of Meridian, Idaho won the 12th Pacific Northwest Women’s Mid-Amateur by defeating Amanda Jacobs of Seattle in their Final match.
The two championships were conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association, and were held concurrently at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Wash.
During their 36-hole match, Ha and Inglis changed leads several times. At one point Ha was 3-up during the morning round. Inglis closed the gap to just 1-up after the first 18 holes, and went on a tear early in the afternoon round, winning three consecutive holes to take a 2-up lead. Inglis was a three-time Oregon high school state champion, and just finished her freshman year at the University of Oregon. With a par on the 28th hole, she took a 1-up lead. The diminutive but big-hitting Ha then birdied holes 29 and 30 to regain the lead, and closed out the match, 2 and 1, with a par on the 35th hole.
Ha is a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad. She will be a junior at Kent State University, and a few months ago had claimed medalist honors in the Mid-American Conference Championship, leading Kent State to their 15th consecutive conference title.
“It was really a close match with Caroline,” said Ha. “She’s really persistent. I had to make birdies down the stretch to finally build a lead.” When asked what it meant to her to win this championship, Ha said, “This (championship) has been going on for years and years, and it really means a lot to have my name on the same trophy as some of the other past champions.” Watch Ha’s interview here.
Markle defeated Jacobs, the No. 1 seed, 1-up in today’s 18-hole Final match in the 12th Pacific Northwest Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Markle has now won the title for a third time, having won it in 2005 and 2007. She has also finished runner-up three times.
Markle nearly ran away with the Final match, jumping out to a 5-up lead after 10 holes, and was 4-up with four to play. “She chipped in from off the green on 15,” said Markle. “That got her going.” Needing to win every hole to stay in the match, Jacobs, who played her collegiate golf at the University of Idaho, went birdie-par-birdie on holes 15 through 17, and standing on the 18th tee she was suddenly only 1-down. When Markle was struggling in the rough near the final green and could not save par, Jacobs had her chance to square the match and take it to extra holes, but she 3-putted for bogey.
“I love match play,” said Markle. “I love it. You’re never out of it. Anything is possible until the ball is in the hole.” Watch Markle’s interview here.
First held in 1899, 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 Gunderson Carner, Jo Ann Washam, Pat Lesser Harbottle, Edean Ihlanfeldt, Violet Pooly Sweeney, Marcia Fisher, Betty Jean Hulteng, among others. Past champions also include many who would later go on to the LPGA Tour, such as Jimin Kang, Peggy Conley, Ruth Jessen and Shirley Englehorn.
