Ha Defeats Medalist, Other Top Players Advance at 112th Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur
Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Alberta defeated No. 1 seed Kendall Prince of Corvallis, Ore., 7 and 6, in their Round of 16 match at the 112th Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur, being held at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Wash.
The championship held its Rounds of 32 and 16 today, with the Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches scheduled for tomorrow. The first tee time in the Quarterfinal matches is 7:30 a.m.
The big-hitting Ha 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.
A few days ago Prince had set a women’s course record on the first day of stroke-play qualifying by firing a 5-under 67 on her way to taking Medalist honors. She had already won the Oregon Women’s Amateur last month, and had easily won her Round of 32 match earlier in the day against Hope Neidhold of Richland, Wash.
Other notables advancing through today’s two rounds are defending champion Chessey Thomas of Spokane; Monica Vaughn of Reedsport, Ore., who just graduated from high school, winning her second Oregon high school state championship, and is also a past champion of the Oregon Women’s Amateur; Jordan Ferreira of University Place, Wash., the defending PNGA Junior Girls’ champion; and Caroline Inglis of Eugene, Ore., who was a three-time Oregon high school state champion now playing for the University of Oregon, and who recently qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Morgan Thompson of Tualatin, Ore. aced the 165-yard par-3 sixth hole on her way to defeating Katie Lee of Silverdale, Wash. in the Round of 32.
In the 12th Pacific Northwest Women’s Mid-Amateur, being held concurrently at Wine Valley, No. 1 seed Amanda Jacobs of Seattle won her match against Shawna Ianson of Boise, 5 and 4. Jacobs, who played golf at the University of Idaho in Moscow, won four of the first five holes on the back nine to close out the match. Ianson is the defending IGA Women’s Mid-Amateur champion.
Also advancing are Alison Murdoch of Victoria, B.C. and Kareen Markle of Meridian, Idaho, both being two-time past champions of this championship.
These championships are conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association. Wine Valley Golf Club hosted the 111th Pacific Northwest Men’s Amateur Championship last year, and will host the Northwest Open on August 19-21.
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.
