Ziegler Rolls Through First Two Matches at 113th Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur; Stone Cruises Into Quarterfinals at 13th Women’s Mid-Amateur
Aaren Ziegler of Canby, Ore. won her first two matches today to advance into tomorrow’s quarterfinals of the 113th Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur, while Brie Stone of Veneta, Ore. breezed through her Round of 16 match in the 13th Pacific Northwest Women’s Mid-Amateur.
Ziegler and Stone were medalists in the qualifying rounds to determine match play contestants, and both are seeded No. 1 in their respective championships.
Both championships are being held concurrently at Lewiston (Idaho) Golf & Country Club, and are being conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA).
Ziegler, who won this championship in 2011 and will be a senior in the fall playing for the University of Wisconsin, easily defeated Kristen Hansen of Spokane, Wash. 6 and 4 in the morning Round of 32 matches. In her afternoon match against Cali Hipp of Caldwell, Idaho in the Round of 16, Ziegler was 1-down to the 2008 Idaho Women’s State Amateur champ at the turn, but then built a 3-up lead before closing out the match on the par-3 16th hole.
Other notables to advance through today’s two matches and make it into tomorrow’s quarterfinals are defending champion Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Alta., who easily made it through today’s competition. Ha just finished her junior year at Kent State University, where she was the 2013 Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Year. She is a member of the Canadian National Team.
Also advancing are Tyler Barker of Caldwell, Idaho, the reigning IGA Women’s Four-Ball champion (with her sister, Gabrielle); Jennifer Song of Auburn, Wash., who will be a junior on the Seattle University’s women’s golf team; and Dorsey Addicks of Big Sky, Mont., Song’s teammate at Seattle University.
The upset of the day came when Amy Hasenoehrl of Lewiston defeated Jordan Ferreira of University Place, Wash. 2 and 1 in the Round of 16. Two weeks ago Ferreira had won the Washington State Women’s Amateur, just days after competing in the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst. Hasenoehrl won the 2012 Idaho Junior State Championship and just finished her freshman year playing for the University of Idaho women’s golf team.
The championship’s first quarterfinal match begins tomorrow at 7:30 a.m., and the semifinal matches will be held in the afternoon.
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.
In the Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, Stone cruised through her Round of 16 match, defeating Penny Jacks of Lewiston, Idaho 7 and 5. The two major upsets of the day came when Molly Edmunds of Portland, Ore. defeated defending champion Kareen Markle 2 and 1; and when Rebecca Mallo of Spokane defeated Denise Kieffer of University Place, Wash. 4 and 3.
The first match in the Women’s Mid-Amateur begins at 8:10 a.m. tomorrow.
