For a day that went so badly in several respects, Monday sure turned out well for Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs.
During the course of her round at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Sectional Qualifying tournament at Green Gables Country Club, Stancato hit into water hazards twice, made two double bogeys and was stung by a bee.
Despite all that, the 18-year-old earned a spot in a playoff and landed the fifth and final qualifying berth for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, which will be played Aug. 8-14 in Barrington, Rhode Island.
“I wasn’t having that good of a day, but I guess it turned out pretty good,” the recent Coronado High School graduate said.
Stancato (pictured above) joined fellow Colorado teenager Shannon Lubar of Littleton, University of Denver golfer Anna Christenson and Philippines golfers Jayvie Agojo and Cyna Rodriguez in advancing to the national tournament. It will be the fifth USGA championship for Rodriguez, who made the final 16 of the Women’s Amateur two years ago, the second for Lubar, and the first for Stancato, Christenson and Agojo.
Agojo, a former Pepperdine University golfer, earned medalist honors in the 43-player field with a 1-over-par 72. Christenson carded a 73, Rodriguez a 74, Lubar a 75 and Stancato a 77.
Stancato, two-time CWGA Stroke Play champion Melissa Martin, Lauren Falley of Topeka, Kan., and Sunshine Baraquiel of the Philippines played off for the final national berth, with Stancato and Martin needing four extra holes to settle things. Stancato saved a par with a 20-foot putt on No. 1 to extend the proceedings, and they also both made pars on Nos. 2 and 3.
On the par-3 fourth playoff hole, Martin hit her tee shot 20 yards over the green and had to navigate around a tree to try to get anywhere close to the flag. Her second shot didn’t made the putting surface, and after her chip slipped past the hole, Stancato two-putted for par from 12 feet to advance.
It’s ironic that Stancato earned a national berth on a par-3 considering she double bogeyed two of them during her regulation round on Monday. To add injury to insult, she was stung on the par-3 seventh hole when a bee got stuck in her shoe.
“I was happy that I broke 80 with two doubles and going in the water and everything, but I wasn’t expecting to get into a playoff or anything like this,” said Stancato, who will start playing golf at the University of Wyoming in the fall after placing third in the recent 4A state high school tournament.
The 17-year-old Lubar (pictured at left), runner-up in last week’s CWGA Junior Stroke Play, will be going to her second USGA championship of the year after also qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links tournament. Overall, she said she’s only tried to qualify for five USGA championships in her life, and has been successful twice.
“I haven’t been playing golf that long (four years competitively), so it’s a good accomplishment for such a short time,” said Lubar, a senior-to-be at Chatfield High School who recently won the Colorado Junior PGA Championship for the second straight year. Qualifying is “fantastic, awesome. I’m very, very happy.
“I played really well. I was consistent, relaxed and had confidence. I struck the ball nicely and made a few putts, so it was good.”
Christenson, a senior-to-be at DU, had the advantage of knowing Green Gables well as the Pioneers practice at the course on a fairly regular basis. (After recently being sold, Green Gables is expected to cease golf operations as soon as this fall, though it’s possible the course could remain open into next year. The land on which the course sits is expected to be redeveloped.)
In shooting a 73, the 21-year-old Christenson said, “I’m very pleased. This course is very tough. We play it all the time in practice and I don’t even usually shoot 73 in practice. It’s one of my better scores for sure.
“I think the first three holes out here are the hardest so if you don’t know that, it can kind of get to you because you can be thinking about it all day. My mindset is if I can get through those first three holes I’m pretty much good for the rest of the day.”
And indeed, though Christenson went 2 over par over those first three holes, she went even-par the rest of her round.
Agojo, 24, was in the first group to tee off Monday and she rallied after being 3 over par through six holes. She eagled the par-5 15th hole from 5 feet to help her earn medalist honors.
“I was putting so bad on the front,” said Agojo, twice a West Coast Conference champion at Pepperdine. “I was trying to line up the ball, but then I didn’t line it up anymore and just tried to visualize my putt, and that worked for me.”
Agojo and Rodriguez became the second and third golfers from the Philippines to earn U.S. Women’s Amateur berths at Green Gables in the last two years. Countrywoman Beverly Mendoza advanced last year.
Rodriguez, a junior-to-be on the University of Southern California golf team, was one of the more accomplished young players in Monday’s field, having made at least the second round of match play three times in the U.S. Women’s Amateur or the U.S. Girls’ Junior.
In addition, the 19-year-old has won the Philippines Women’s Amateur, as well as the Callaway Junior World tournament at age 15.
U.S. Women’s Amateur Qualifying
At Par-71 Green Gables CC in Denver
QUALIFIED
Jayvie Agojo, Philippines – 37-35–72
Anna Christenson, Denver, Colo. – 37-36–73
Cyna Rodriguez, Philippines – 36-38–74
Shannon Lubar, Littleton, Colo. – 37-38–75
Samantha Stancato, Colorado Springs, Colo. – 40-37–77
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Melissa Martin, Grand Junction, Colo. – 38-39–77
Lauren Falley, Topeka, Kan. – 38-39–77
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Sunshine Baraquiel, Philippines – 37-40–77
Janet Moore, Greenwood Village, Colo. – 39-39–78
Bethany Buchner, Loveland, Colo. – 37-41–78
Anna Schultz, Rockwall, Texas – 40-38–78
Beverly Mendoza, Lubbock, Texas – 39-39–78
Sydney Merchant, Morrison, Colo. – 38-40–78
Kathleen Kershisnik, Highlands Ranch, Colo. – 36-42–78
Sarah Faller, Denver, Colo. – 40-39–79
Devin Dougherty, Woodland, Calif. – 38-41–79
Somin Lee, Denver, Colo. – 41-38–79
Maren Scoggins, Denver, Colo. – 41-38–79
Julia Thead, San Diego, Calif. – 41-38–79
Leslie McGetrick, Highlands Ranch, Colo. – 41-40–81
Paige Crawford, Colorado Springs, Colo. – 42-39–81
Hannah Wood, Centennial, Colo. – 38-44–82
Alison Cavanaugh, Littleton, Colo. – 41-41–82
Lindsay McGetrick, Highlands Ranch, Colo. – 43-40–83
Bryce Schroeder, Pueblo, Colo. – 45-38–83
Kelly Drack, Melbourne, Fla. – 44-39–83
Katie Keiser, Gothenburg, Neb. – 42-41–83
Amy Hodgkinson, Longmont, Colo. – 44-40–84
Kasha Scott, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. – 42-42–84
Jessie Joachim, Hudson, Colo. – 44-40–84
Molly Dorans, Erie, Colo. – 42-43–85
Alexandra Sborov, Pleasanton, Calif. – 43-42–85
Maggie Boberg, Littleton, Colo. – 44-41–85
Lindsay Cone, Killington, Vt. – 43-43–86
Libby Avery, Highlands Ranch, Colo. – 49-39–88
Kaylee Koeppen, Scottsbluff, Neb. – 43-46–89
Gina Larson, Longmont, Colo. – 49-41–90
Jenna Zamprelli, Laramie, Wyo. – 45-45–90
Andrea Hibbert, Golden, Colo. – 42-48–90
Katie Moats, Wheat Ridge, Colo. – 46-44–90
Taylor Buck, Littleton, Colo. – 52-40–92
Diane Kwon, Fremont, Calif. – WD
Mikayla Tatman, Longmont, Colo. – WD
