Moore Shares Lead After U.S. Women’s Amateur Round 1
August 07, 2017
CHULA VISTA, Calif. (Aug. 7, 2017) - Kristen Gillman, the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, and Haley Moore, one of six San Diego County players in the field, each shot 5-under-par 67 Monday to share a 1-stroke lead after the first round of stroke play in the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at the par-72, 6,423-yard San Diego CC.
A rising sophomore at the University of Alabama, Gillman’s first round included three birdies on her first nine holes. Her card was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole, with her only bogey on the par-4 ninth, her final hole.
Gillman, who won the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur in a come-from-behind 2-up victory over Brooke Henderson at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, N.Y., doesn’t feel any increased pressure from seeing her picture on signage around the course.
Moore, an 18-year-old rising junior at the University of Arizona from Escondido, Calif., carded eight birdies – the most of the day – to three bogeys. She is coming off of a T13 finish in last week's SCGA Women's Amateur.
“I'm pretty thrilled,” said Moore, who graduated high school a semester early to play for the Wildcats in the 2016 NCAA Championship, where she finished runner-up individually. “I started off pretty steady, a couple birdies coming in, and after the front nine I was 3 under. I played pretty steady after a couple bogeys out there, but it happens, so feel good with how I played today.”
Crediting strong iron play as a key to her success, Moore is not the only high-level amateur player in her family. Her brother, Tyler, qualified to play in the 117th U.S. Amateur Championship, which will be played approximately 145 miles north at The Riviera CC and Bel-Air CC in Los Angeles County next week.
Also putting together a solid opening day is UCLA's Bethany Wu, who opened with a round of 1-under par to sit T10. Joining Wu in good position for a match play spot is Fullerton's Stephanie Lau, who shot even par, and Brigitte Dunne of Camarillo, who earned a Top-5 finish in the SCGA Women's Am at San Gabriel CC last week. The reigning SCGA Women's Am Champion Andrea Lee, who currently sits at the No. 6 spot on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, shot a 1-over par 73 today to sit in the event's Top 25.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play, with the low 64 players advancing to match play, which begins Wednesday. The championship, scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final on Sunday, is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
The match-play rounds of the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship will be broadcast on FS1 (Fox Sports 1). Coverage will be from 3-6 p.m. PDT Wednesday through Friday, from 4-7 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. Exclusive bonus coverage will be streamed live on usga.org on Thursday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and Sunday from 9:30-11:30 a.m.