Allie Johnston’s goal heading into the summer season was to qualify for all the USGA championships she enters.
Two qualifying tournaments later, consider it mission accomplished for the 17-year-old from Castle Rock.
Two weeks after earning a spot in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship for the second time, Johnston punched her second ticket to the U.S. Girls’ Junior.
Actually, the senior-to-be at Rock Canyon High School not only qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Wednesday at Valley Country Club, she gained medalist honors out of a field that originally numbered 23. Johnston shot an even-par 72 to win the qualifier by one stroke.
“The USGA (championships) are probably the best events I’ve played in, so it’s been really good” to qualify for two in June alone, she said. “The best people from all around play in (the national events), so it’s fun. I love it. You get to meet a ton of new people, too.”
Johnston and two players from out of state earned the three national berths available on Wednesday. Joining her at the U.S. Girls’ Junior July 18-23 in Olympia Fields, Ill., will be 14-year-old Bethany Wu of Diamond Bar, Calif., and 17-year-old Anna Young of Saskatchewan, Canada. Wu and Young shot 73 on Wednesday.
While Johnston will be competing in her fourth USGA championship — she leaves later this week for the Women’s Publinks in Bandon, Ore. — Wu will be going to her third (following the Women’s Publinks last year and this) and Young to her first.
Playing the U.S. Girls’ Junior qualifier for the fifth or sixth consecutive year (she also advanced to the national tournament in 2009), Johnston made the most of her knowledge of Valley Country Club on Wednesday. She finished with four birdies and four bogeys on the day and made three birdies in the stretch from holes 14-17 before carding a bogey on No. 18. The highlight of her round was a 40-foot chip-in for birdie at No. 14, which started her back-nine surge.
“It was good,” she said of her performance. “I left a lot out there, but I can’t really complain with even (par).
“I’m playing better right now than I think I ever have. It’s been a good year.”
Wu made her second trip from her home just east of Los Angeles to Colorado for the U.S. Junior Girls’ qualifier.
“I come here because I know the course and I think I have a better chance to qualify because in California they’re so competitive,” said Wu, who narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. Girls’ Junior last year.
Despite being just 14, Wu was the steadiest player in the field on Wednesday, making 16 pars, one birdie and a double bogey.
“I think I did pretty well,” said Wu, who will be a freshman in high school in the fall. “I wanted to qualify this year because last year I didn’t.”
Young, who will play college golf at the University of Tulsa beginning in the fall, was attempting to qualify for the U.S. Girls’ Junior for the first time. And she struck the right chord with a four-birdie, five-bogey round.
“It means a lot (to qualify) because this is my last year to play a USGA Junior,” she said. “It will be really nice to get that experience because I’ve always been playing up in Canada. “¦ I couldn’t be happier right now.”
U.S. Girls’ Junior Qualifying
At Par-72 Valley CC in Aurora
QUALIFIERS
Allie Johnston, Castle Rock 36-36–72
Bethany Wu, Diamond Bar, Calif. 36-37–73
Anna Young, Canada 37-36–37
ALTERNATES (in order)
Bryce Schroeder, Pueblo 37-37–74
Taylor Buck, Littleton 41-36–77
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Shinwoo Lee, Aurora 39-38–77
Katy Dyachkova, Centennial 37-40–77
Shannon Lubar, Littleton 40-37–77
Stephanie Lau, Fullerton, Calif. 38-40–78
Calli Ringsby, Cherry Hills Village 40-39–79
Hannah Wood, Centennial 37-42–79
Taylor Dorans, Erie 40-39–79
Sydney Merchant, Morrison 41-39–80
Kathleen Kershisnik, Highlands Ranch 39-43–82
Jennifer Kempton, Littleton 40-44–84
Alexandra O’Laughlin, Arvada 44-40–84
Anastasia Summers, Bellvue 43-41–84
Megan McCambridge, Boulder 44-41–85
Sara Swaney, Larkspur 46-43–89
Joanna Kempton, Littleton 45-48–93
Emilee Strausburg, Lakewood 46-47–93
Vance Gillian, Lakewood 48-47–95
Maggie Geolat, Monument WD
