On Monday, the Broadmoor Golf Club held a mini preview for the U.S. Women’s Open it will host in 13 months, and the East course was already very much up to the task.
Fifty-seven players entered the U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying at the historic Colorado Springs layout, and just two broke 150 for 36 holes. None matched or bettered par.
Three veterans of USGA events — amateur Kimberly Kim (pictured, top) and LPGA Tour players Jill McGill (below) and Mhairi McKay — survived the test the best and therefore earned spots in the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open that will be played July 8-11 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.
Kim, who just completed her first — and last — season on the University of Denver golf team, earned medalist honors with rounds of 71-72 for a 1-over-par 143 total. McGill and McKay, both $2-million-plus winners in their LPGA Tour careers, posted totals of 147 and 150, respectively.
McGill, a Colorado Golf Hall of Fame member, went 71-76, while Scotland’s McKay finished 77-73.
Another LPGA Tour player, former DU golfer Katie Kempter, made three double bogeys in the afternoon round to shoot 77 and miss a playoff with McKay by one stroke.
“I was thinking they set up the course as a test run for how the Open will be in 2011 (July 7-10), and I think it’s going to be very challenging,” McGill said. “The rough wasn’t nearly as deep as I’m sure it will be in 2011. It’s definitely a course where you plot your way around. And when the wind picks up, it makes it really nasty.”
And in the end it was three very experienced players who prevailed at the Broadmoor, which not only features challenging greens but significant length (6,939 for par-71). Kim is the youngest winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur (14 in 2006). McGill, a Cherry Creek High School graduate, won the 1993 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 1994 U.S. Women’s Amateur Publinks. And McKay has finished in the top seven three times at the U.S. Women’s Open.
“This was a tough course, and one I didn’t know very well,” said Kim, who will play on the U.S. Curtis Cup team in June. “The greens are difficult. It’s hard to get used to this elevation and hard to read the breaks when the mountains come into play.”
Kim was a big-name addition to the DU program a year ago, and she led the Pioneers in stroke average as a freshman. She also won the Sun Belt Conference tournament and finished 27th in the NCAA Finals. But she indicated Monday that she won’t return to DU, and assistant coach Lindsay Hulwick later confirmed that Kim has quit the team.
“I enjoyed it and appreciated the experience, but in the end I just knew it wasn’t the right place for me,” Kim said.
Kim said she’s not sure whether she will transfer to another school or turn pro.
“It was a lot different than what I expected,” she said of playing college golf. “You really don’t realize how difficult it is to balance academics and athletics until you’re doing it. It was a huge adjustment for me because I’m used to just doing golf. It was weird to have both combined. Academically I don’t think I did great.”
Though Kim is still just a teenager, she said this will be her fifth U.S. Women’s Open. She made the cut as a 14-year-old, but hasn’t since.
“Hopefully I’m not psyched out by the fact it’s the U.S. Open, which happens every year,” she said.
McGill is certainly no stranger to the U.S. Women’s Open, having played in the event 13 times previously. Her best showing was a 12th place in 2002. Trip number 14 was made possible in part by her knowledge of the Broadmoor East course, which she estimates she’s played 15 times.
“Playing the Broadmoor growing up served as an advantage today,” said McGill, twice a runner-up in LPGA Tour events. “You just pull those things out of your memory banks. You know everything breaks away from the mountain. You have those 6-footers that you swear are going to go right to left, but you play them straight. This course demands a lot of trust in what you’re doing, particularly around the greens.”
Meanwhile, McKay called qualifying for this year’s U.S. Women’s Open “a big bonus” because she’s just getting back into the swing of things after having a child about 13 months ago.
“Life is different now,” said McKay, five times a runner-up in LPGA Tour events. “I’m lucky if I get in an hour of practice per day. I’m kind of slowly getting back into things, so this is exciting.”
U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN SECTIONAL QUALIFYING RESULTS
At Par-71 Broadmoor Golf Club (East Course) in Colorado Springs
U.S. Women’s Open Qualifiers
Kimberly Kim, Hilo, HI – 71-72–143
Jill McGill, San Diego, CA – 71-76–147
Mhairi McKay, Scotland – 77-73–150
Alternates (in order)
Katie Kempter, Albuquerque, NM – 74-77–151
Becca Huffer, Denver, CO – 78-74–152
Failed to Qualify
Beatriz Recari, Spain – 76-76–152
Kris Tamulis, Naples, FL – 74-79–153
Moira Dunn, Utica, NY – 78-75–153
Alison Whitaker, Australia – 73-82–155
Kelly Jacques, Longmont, CO – 80-76–156
Lucy Kim, Korea – 76-81–157
Julia Boland, Australia – 82-75–157
Rachel Larson, Longmont, CO – 77-81–158
Tara Goedeken, Dodge City, KS – 79-79–158
Erica Moston, Belmont, CA – 75-83–158
Britney Choy, Wahiawa, HI – 79-79–158
Emily Talley, Boulder, CO – 81-78–159
Trisha Self, Littleton, CO – 79-81–160
Bethany Buchner, Loveland, CO – 82-78–160
Mallory Hetzel, Summerville, SC – 83-77–160
Erin Houtsma, Denver, CO – 79-81–160
Sherry Andonian Smith, Castle Rock, CO – 78-82–160
Salimah Mussani, Canada – 80-81–161
Melissa Martin, Grand Junction, CO – 77-84–161
Amy Eneroth, Spokane, WA – 81-81–162
Allie Johnston, Castle Rock, CO – 82-80–162
Madeleine Holmblad, Sweden – 81-81–162
Ashley Smith, Canada – 82-81–163
Anna Christenson, Oro Valley, AZ – 82-81–163
Nina Rodriguez, San Jose, CA – 85-78–163
Christine Cho, Kent, WA – 82-82–164
Ashley Sholer, Canada – 75-89–164
Dawn Shockley, Estes Park, CO – 80-84–164
Shannon Lubar, Littleton, CO – 84-80–164
Sarah Zwartynski, Allen, TX – 86-80–166
Meghan Little, Sturgis, SD – 80-86–166
Lynette Duran, Lakewood, CO – 80-86–166
Julianna Uhrik, Chandler, AZ – 79-88–167
Kelly Drack, Melbourne, FL – 84-84–168
Shannon Johnson, Sioux Falls, SD – 84-84–168
Molly Dorans, Erie, CO – 84-84–168
Amber Ward, Westminster, CO – 84-85–169
Katie Keiser, Gothenburg, NE – 84-87–171
Krista Hrdlicka, Wahoo, NE – 85-87–172
Calli Ringsby, Denver, CO – 86-87–173
Shannon Lutynski, Castle Rock, CO – 89-84–173
Gina Larson, Longmont, CO – 88-88–176
Aly Smith, Houston, TX – 91-91–182
Kelly Nakashima, Wailuku, HI – 82-WD
Sookhee Baek, Bradenton, FL – 80-WD
Malou Gronning, Aurora, CO – 91-WD
Elena Robles, Redondo Beach, CA – 81-WD
Sin Ham, Korea – 82-WD
Angel Sze, San Marino, CA – 86-WD
